Silence is Golden (but Elven Rope is Silver)
by TimeLord Say0
Summary: First of all, let me just say my life was never as confusing as it is now. Difficult and irritating? Yes, but confusing not so much. (Oh look another 'oc falls into LotR universe' story! How original and completely unique I am! Look, it's a Legolas/OC story too! Wow I'm so different from every other person on here, how can I get better you ask? By making things... Interesting.) -TL
1. Prologue

**TEASER PROLOGUE**

 **Sooo here we are at the beginning of a very original and very unique story of someone randomly falling into the LotR universe and somehow ended up being a 10th walker. Yes yes, I know I'm a genius for coming up with this aren't I?**

 **But seriously, I started watching the movies again and decided just to go for it, I don't see any harm in it either so hopefully it turns out alright for you hardcore fans. If I make mistakes, please just tell me rather than flame me, I don't make them on purpose and I appreciate any help I can get to make this as awesome as possible.**

 **Another thing, I do not know Elvish phrases all that well, I did find a couple websites online that give you basic sayings and such so I'll be using those to replace some of the things being said.**

 **I think that's it for now, so onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Lord of the Rings or any of its characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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First of all, let me just say my life was never as confusing as it is now. Difficult and irritating? Yes, but confusing, not so much.

I mean, wouldn't you find it confusing to be backpacking through Ireland, simply enjoying the view of rolling hills and forests only to be struck by lightning when there were no thunder clouds in the sky?

Alright, so I wasn't really struck by lightning, but it hitting the ground just a couple feet in front of me is pretty damn close. Enough to toss me back and knock me out for a good few hours anyway. The fact I even survived is enough to say my life got suddenly confusing.

Another thing to say about how confusing things are? The trees are totally different than the ones I've studied for the past two weeks. I mean totally different, where there were deep woods, there were still stretches of grassland between each patch of them.

Now the trees were never ending, I couldn't even see a light peeking from the edge of the woods from where I stood like I could before. The only light I could see filtered down through the trees above.

Oh, and another thing? Apparently I'm in a city of elves, and I have no idea how to talk to them. So you could say things have gotten pretty damn confusing.

And before I confuse you any further, how about I start from the beginning where it all started...

 _It was a misty day in the Irish moors, the sun was hidden behind overcast clouds that threatened a harder rain than what was falling now. I was attempting to cross the moor and reach the inn I had been told was there before I got soaked in a deluge that I knew was about to happen..._

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 **Just to let you know, the rest of the chapters are MUCH longer than this. This chapter is only a PROLOGUE so therefore shorter than the rest of the story.**

 ** _ALSO_ _I have a facebook page for promotion, I also post updates and live feeds while I write. I ask for opinions and ideas during the video or simply post them as a status._**

 ** _I would love to have new readers to follow me on there so I can get to know you all better please consider going to look for it._**

 ** _/TLS0nya_**

 ** _Simply type that at the end of facebook dot com and check out my page. I haven't update the cover photo so it won't mention Silence is Golden on it yet._**

 ** _PLEASE DO FOLLOW ME ON THERE._**

 ** _-TL_**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Here we are at the first chapter! Like I mentioned before I don't know elvish that much so I hope you all can forgive me for the broken speech that'll pop up from time to time, if you know a better phrase or if I translated incorrectly, please let me know, I really hate getting details like that wrong in my stories.**

 **I think that's about it for now, so onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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Language Key-

 **Bold=** Elvish

 _ **Italic+Bold**_ = Common Speech

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 **Just so you know, some of the stuff may be wrong on here, I'm going off of both the Movies and the Books in this series (Less of the book and more of the movie tho), so stuff may swap around from time to time. Another thing is, this story starts off between the Hobbit and The Fellowship so bear with me while I work my way through this!**

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It was a misty day in the Irish moors, the sun was hidden behind overcast clouds that threatened a harder rain than what was falling now. Heather was attempting to cross the moor and reach the inn she had been told was there before she got soaked in a deluge that she knew was about to happen.

Reaching up, she tugged the hood up on her jacket, trying to block out the sudden wind that blew in her face. "Damn, who ever thought I'd be racing to get inside while in Ireland?" Grumbling under her breath, Heather gripped the straps of her pack tighter and trudged onward, eyes focused ahead of me as she attempted to reach the inn in record time.

Continually grumbling about the sour weather, Heather grit her teeth and focused on putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to pay attention to the wind and rain starting to get worse with each step she took. "Why did I ever take this trip? Seriously, this is ridiculous. Wind, rain and crap weather all day and here I am walking in it like a complete moron..."

Another strong gust of wind made her pause and adjust her hood once again. It wasn't precisely cold per-se, however it wasn't exactly enjoyable either to have rain pelting you in the face and rolling down your neck into your shirt either. "Damn this sucks..."

Pausing long enough to adjust her hood most likely had saved Heather's life, in fact, she would say it did save her life. Just those couple of seconds more and she wouldn't even be here because a few moments later, a bolt of lightning struck the ground just a couple of feet in front of her.

The blast blew her backwards, her throat closed in fear and surprise making it impossible for me to even scream. Thankfully Heather's pack was still strapped securely to her back and shoulders, considering she was blown back against the trunk of a tree. However, it was bad luck to have her camp stove strapped to the top of her pack as her head bashed against it... Hard.

Bright lights exploded in front of her eyes, a sharp pain stabbing her in the back of the head making a low moan slip from between numb lips. Faintly she realized there was no real reason for her to have hit a tree, the vague thought drifting across her mind that she was in the middle of the moor, nowhere close to the trees.

Stumbling to her feet, Heather groaned at the throbbing pain spreading from the back of her head and down her neck. Trying to ignore the flashes of light blinking on and off in front of her, she stumbled away from the tree, one hand automatically reaching out to steady herself against whatever was nearby when the world around her began to spin.

Weaving on her feet, she grit her teeth against the pain and struggled to move forward, another faint thought drifting across her mind, idly wondering why there were trees around her before it was pushed away by another sharp throb of pain.

Stumbling over various things she couldn't focus on, let alone see, she slowly made her way through the strange, wooded area knowing full well she shouldn't be anywhere near trees at all. A faint noise made it's way past the throbbing in her head, making Heater lift it up with a pained grimace.

Unable to focus on anything, all she could see was the blurred outline of someone standing a couple yards in front of her. With a soft growl at the throbbing, she grit her teeth and stubbornly moved forward, trying to make out what the figure appeared to be saying.

Sudden vertigo swept over her, making the world spin and tilt under her feet. Reaching out desperately for something nearby to grab, she felt herself tilt forward. Vague, broken thoughts skittered across her mind as she watched the ground rush up to meet her. The only one that managed to form fully repeated itself as she fell.

 _'Fuck. This is gonna hurt.'_

And then, darkness, the faint sounds of someone or something moving across the ground by her head and the vague feeling of being lifted up before she allowed herself to drift away, thankfully from the pain in her head.

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Aragorn, carrying the odd woman he came across in the woods, rushed into Rivendell, eyes roaming over the curious faces until he spotted Elrond walking towards him. "Who is this?" The elven lord stopped in front of the man, a slim hand reaching out to brush the wayward hair from the girl's face that lay in his arms.

"I do not know. I stumbled across her while travelling here." Aragorn murmured, eyes shifting from her dirty face and to Elrond's. "She appears to have been struck in the head."

With a nod, Elrond turned and lead Aragorn through the small crowd of elves towards the healing rooms quickly. "Did she speak her name?" The elf asked, sending a look over his shoulder at the man behind him then facing front again. "No, she fell before I reached her." Aragorn glanced down at the woman again with a small frown. "She carried a large pack on her back. Perhaps a traveller."

"This close to Rivendell without being seen? Impossible." Elrond opened a door and ushered his friend inside so he could lay the woman down on the bed inside. "The boarder scouts would have spotted her before even entering the forest."

"I do not know, I can only say I found her no more than a hours ride away from the city." Aragorn looked up at the elf lord from across the bed as he placed his hands on the girl's head gently, probing for the tender area. Elrond furrowed his brow at what the man said, eyes focused on the woman laying in front of him. _'Just who is this woman?'_

Brushing her hair away from her face again, something shining caught his eye. Curious despite himself, he pushed the hair behind her ear and stiffened in surprise, cathing Aragorn's attention. "What is it?"

Hidden behind her hair and unnoticed until he moved it was a pointed ear pierced with sparkling gems and metal hoops. The three piercings being what caught his attention drew Aragorn around to his side of the bed, surprise making him suck in a breath between his teeth. "An elleth? But why was she so far from the city?"

"She is not of Rivendell." Elrond murmured, unable to pull his eyes away from the obviously elvish ear in front of him. "If she isn't from Rivendell, then where does she hail from?"

Finally dragging his attention away from the girl, the elvish lord looked to his friend with a slight frown. "I do not know." Shaking off his surprise, he turned to one of the elves standing in the room and motioned for them to wrap her head and moved away from the bed with Aragorn following him outside.

Stopping in the hallway, he turned to the man and studied his expression. "We will need to alert the cities. She may come from one of them."

"Perhaps. However I have reason to believe she may have come farther than that." Aragorn frowned slightly, earning a curious look from Elrond. "Why is that?"

"The pack she carried is not one I have seen before. It is made from a strange material." Turning away, he lead the elf away towards the stable where his horse had been placed when he arrived. Spotting the stall with his horse, he stopped outside of it and reached down to pick up the large bag placed beside the door. "She carried this?" Elrond asked with surprise, making Aragorn smile wryly. "Fairly easily, I may add."

Setting it back down on the floor, he opened the top flap and began rummaging inside. Pulling out several odd things, he set them aside on the ground beside him and continued digging. Odd clothes, packages filled with various foods and what he suspected to be food. Strange books filled with blank, lined paper and strange sticks made out of a clear material that looked like glass. Plates, cups and utensils made out of a light metal as well as other things he couldn't begin to describe.

Crouching down, the man shifted through the small pile of items he had made with a frown. "I have never seen anything like these before." He murmured, Elrond nodding in agreement as he picked up a cylindrical item with a red button at the top, turning it around idly in his fingers before putting it back. "No, I cannot say I have either."

"Perhaps she came from a city on an island?" Aragorn asked, glancing up at the elf with a frown. "Perhaps." Elrond however did not believe what he said and straightened up. "Gandalf will arrive in three days, mayhap he can shed light on this."

Nodding silently, Aragorn began putting the things back into the pack with a thoughtful expression on his face. His only concern at the moment being if the wizard couldn't tell them where the young elleth came from, then there may be no real answer until she woke, and there was no way to know when she would after receiving a blow to the head like she did.

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Soft, musical voices drew Heather from a deep sleep and making her wince in anticipation for the throbbing in her head she knew would come... Only to feel nothing. _'Huh?'_ Squinting her eyes open slightly she blinked at the bright light and slowly sat up, wary of the bump she took to the head and looked around.

The two men talking on the other side of the room stopped and moved towards her bed as she slowly settled herself upright. **"You are awake."*** Heather studied the man that spoke closely, a small frown pulling at her lips. "What?"

Hearing her speak, the two men shared a quick look and turned back to her with similar looks of confusion. **"Do you speak elvish?"** The same man asked, his beautiful features pulled into a frown to match hers. "Uh..." Heather looked over at the other man helplessly, his rugged features somehow endearing rather than taking away from his good looks.

Aragorn studied her curiously then turned to Elrond. "It seems she does not understand." Looking back at her, he offered a smile and tipped his head in greeting. _**"Tae yi marille Cromenn?" ****_ (Do you speak Common?) Hearing this, Heather let out a huff and shook her head, arms raising up in a confused gesture.

Elrond stepped back from the bed with Aragorn, concern making it's way onto his features as the human turned to look at him with a similar expression. "Could the blow to her head make her forget speech?" Aragorn asked finally, glancing back over at the strange woman quickly to see her staring at them with full blown curiosity.

"Mayhap. However I have yet to see any other with a similar problem after receiving such a wound." Elrond replied softly, his gaze too drifting over to her as she looked around the room idly, trying to appear like she wasn't interested in their conversation. "Gandalf may help shed light when he arrives. For now we will make her comfortable and heal the wound." Nodding his head, Aragorn walked back over to the bed, watching as she stared at the other two elves in the room, a gleam of concentration in her eyes while they spoke.

Looking over himself, he watched the two in confusion. He couldn't see what she found so interesting about one of them handing a bowl of water. The other elf smiled and tipped her head lightly, thanking him before turning to wash her hands.

Looking back over at the woman, he watched her gaze turn inward, deep in thought as she pursed her lips lightly. A few moments later, with a cautious look in her eyes, she opened her mouth, paused and closed it again with a frown.

Raising an eyebrow, Aragorn waited patiently while she thought over whatever was on her mind. Seeming to come to a decision, she looked back up at him with a determined face. **"Hannoon llee."** (Thank you -sort of.-)

To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Just a moment ago, she had no idea what they were saying, yet here she was thanking him in elvish, granted her pronunciation was slightly off and her accent didn't match the words correctly, he could still understand what she said. Looking over at Elrond, they shared a confused look before he turned back to the woman who seemed to be upset.

Comprehension dawned suddenly, his gaze shifting over to the two elves standing across the room and back to her, a surprised laugh bursting from him. She realized what they were saying had to be along the lines of a thank you and was attempting to speak in a way he understood! Catching sight of the upset expression she wore, he stopped laughing and placed a hand on her shoulder, making the woman look up at him with a frown.

Smiling wide at her, he chuckled slightly and repeated the phrase back. **"Hannon lle."** Then nodded his head, trying to get it across to her she said it correctly. She frowned slightly in thought then smiled brightly just as quick as she understood what he meant. Elrond walked up beside Aragorn and offered a smile back to her when she turned that beaming face to him, obvious excitement at realizing she was right radiating off of her.

"She may yet learn to speak with us before Gandalf arrives." Elrond murmured to the man beside him, making Aragorn chuckle and shake his head as they stepped away from the bed and slowly got to her feet. "It would seem so." They shared a wry look and turned back to her as she looked about the room curiously.

Heather wanted to learn, she really did, but without any way to speak to them at all or even understand the languages they knew, it would be slow going without a literal English translation to learn with. Frowning in thought, she turned her attention back to the two men there then smiled again. Getting their attention, she tapped herself on the chest and said: "Heather."

At their small frowns, she let out a low sigh and rested her hand on her chest this time and said her name slower. "Hea-th-er." Then reached out hesitantly and rested her hand on the rougher man's chest with an expectant look.

Elrond, realizing what she meant first, offered the information she wanted. "Strider."

Looking over at the fair-faced man, she frowned in concentration for a moment then turned back to the man she touched. "St.. Rider." At his encouraging nod, she grinned and said it clearly: "Strider." Pulling her hand back, she tapped her chest again and repeated her name. "Heather."

Turning to look at the other man, she tipped her head to the side, obviously waiting for him to tell her his name. The elf smiled gently and tapped his chest like she had. "Elrond." Heather pursed her lips lightly, her tongue moving around the word before she spoke it much slower than she had with Aragorn's. "El... Rod."

Aragorn shook his head, getting her attention once again as he said it slower. "El-Ron-D."

Pulling her eyebrows together, she tried again with a frown. "El... Rond." Seeing the same nod from before, she smiled sheepishly and turned her attention towards him again. "Elrond."

Seeing the man smile again, she shrugged a shoulder and sent a crooked smile back at him as if to say _'I'm trying.'_.

Taking a deep breath, Heather turned towards the doors and went to walk towards them. A sudden dizzy spell hitting her and making her sway on her feet. Aragorn rushed over and gripped her shoulders gently to help keep her balance then lead her back to the bed and set her down. **"It may be best for you to rest for now."** He cautioned her, earning a raised eyebrow for his efforts. "Heather." That got her full attention as she looked up at him again. **"Lay down."** He said slowly, gently pushing on her shoulders so she lay back against the pillows once more.

Elrond joined him by the bed as she let out a small, annoyed sound and crossed her arms across her chest. **"An ngell nin, losto."** (Please, sleep.) He murmured to her, a hand pressing to her forehead gently and earning a confused look before she gave in and relaxed fully against the bed with a small sigh of comfort. She had no idea where she was, how to even speak to these people and no idea how to get home. But for some reason, the two men there exuded an air of comfort somehow.

Somewhere deep in her instincts, Heather knew she could trust them and so she allowed herself to sink into sleep once more. Maybe she would somehow get some answers when she woke up.

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 **(* I really don't know the language that well -YET- sadly, so I'm only going to write the actual elvish phrases I do know, like thank you, friend and such. If you do know the elvish for the bold words I write, please let me know!)**

 **(** This is completely made up. I'm replacing the Common Speak with gibberish to make things interesting.)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Well, here we are at Chapter two today! I was pleasantly surprised to see a few people favorite, follow and review yesterday, definitely gave me a boost of confidence that I'm not a total loss when it comes to writing LotR fanfiction.**

 **I know things are a bit slow going right now, but I promise it will get better. Remember it's a Romance/Comedy story, not angst so it will pick up, I swear. Things are confusing right now, and they're supposed to be, just keep reading and you'll see things start to make sense.**

 **As for my reviewers? You guys rock! Makes me grin like a dork when I see a new one pop up in my e-mail, keep them coming guys, critiques are welcome too, don't worry about making me upset or anything, lay them on me! I need help with this as I rarely ever write outside of the Inuyasha fandom, HELP IS NEEDED.**

 **I think that's about it for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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The smell of the forest slowly drug Heather from her sleep, nose twitching appreciatively as she breathed it in with a long, slow breath. Opening her eyes, she smiled lightly at the peaceful atmosphere radiating all around her. Her smile spread into a full-grown grin when she felt no after effects of the concussion she suspected she had and sat up, turning her head side to side, testing her neck for a moment then looked up slowly.

When nothing protested at the motion and no throbbing came from her head, she slowly slid her legs to the side of her bed and stood up on slightly wobbly legs. Undeterred, she made her way to the window and pushed the curtains aside, looking out at the nighttime city curiously.

So far all she saw happened to be the room she was in and a glimpse of the city outside the window earlier when she had been awake. But now she felt better, full of nervous energy and itching to go explore. But the gown she wore wasn't exactly something she would want to walk around in public.

The smile falling from her face for the first time since she woke up, Heather grimaced at the dress-like gown she had been put in. Idly she wondered just who changed her clothes, then shrugged it off. She doubted Elrond or Strider did it, they were too polite, same goes for who he had do it. Most likely he had a woman change her.

While she had nothing against wearing anything this beautiful, the material was soft and silky against her skin, it was irritating because she couldn't go out and explore like she wanted at the moment. "Hmm..." Humming under her breath thoughtfully, she began to wander around her room, pulling open drawers and searching the small wardrobe only to find clothes already put inside them.

Apparently they expected her to be better, or they wouldn't have put clothes in here for her already. Grin reappearing, she pulled out a tunic like shirt and a pair of pants made out of a soft but sturdy material. Changing quickly, she laid the gown on her bed then slipped out the door, eager to see just where she was and to find out if she could find her way back onto a path she recognised.

Padding down the hallway, she peered around corners she came to until she finally spotted an archway leading outside and stepped through it, eyes wide at the sheer beauty of the garden area she found. Trees and flowering bushes lined a natural dirt path winding through it. Any structures set up in it, bird baths or small gazebos were all designed to flow with nature and blend in with it.

Being a city girl gave Heather a love of electronics and such, however, she never could deny nature drew her in a way she couldn't explain. Maybe it was because she never got much of a chance to enjoy it living in a city, maybe it was just in the very make of her soul to love it, she didn't know. But walking barefoot through the garden gave her a sense of peace and connectivity with everything around her in a way she never felt before.

Letting out a happy sigh, she stepped off the dirt path and onto the soft grass lining it, toes wiggling slightly in the dew, eyes closed in bliss as she simply just relaxed fully for the first time since that lightning struck the ground in front of her. "Now I can get used to this." She murmured under her breath, looking back down at her feet, a crooked smile tugging at her lips.

 **"Man** **cerig?"** (What are you doing?) A familiar, male voice broke Heather from her thoughts. Turning to look over her shoulder she smiled wryly at Elrond as he stood on the path behind her, a curious look in his eyes. "Enjoying myself." She answered, knowing full well he wouldn't even understand her as she stepped away from the grass and joined him on the path. Shrugging a shoulder at his confused look, she lifted a hand and gestured at the path then at herself and him with a questioning look.

Thankfully he seemed to understand what she meant and offered his arm to Heather with a smile, his head bowing ever so slightly when she slowly linked hers with his with a shy smile in return. Turning as one, they began walking along the path in silence, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere despite the lack of speech between them.

Lost in her thoughts, Heather studied the flowers that were open and in full glory despite the dark with deep interest. It wasn't often you found a flower that stayed open during the night, and when you did, they tended to be more colorful in the dark and washed-out during the day.

Feeling Elrond tug her arm gently, she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow only to see his other hand gesture to the other side of the path where a patch of, guess what, heather grew with the grass. A started laugh slipped from her as she pulled away from him and crouched down, fingers stretched out to brush against the damp plant with a grin. Turning to look up at him, she ran her hand over the plant then tapped her chest lightly. "Heather."

Eyebrows lifted in surprise, he knelt on the path beside her, his own hand stretching out to touch the plant, a small grin tugging at his own lips as he committed her language's term for this plant to memory. He didn't know she was named for it, he merely thought she would like to see after he had found her barefoot in the grass earlier.

A small sound drew his attention back to the girl, confusion and a small amount of concern washed over him once he spied her shocked expression pointed in his direction. Turning to check behind him, he didn't see anyone or anything there that might cause this reaction and looked back at Heather in utter confusion.

Heather, on the other hand, was in a state of shock. When she had looked over at Elrond to say something, she had spied his ear. His rather obviously pointed ear on the side of his head. Thinking back when she had been in the room earlier that day, she couldn't remember if she saw it before or not, the confusion of where she was and frustration at the language barrier distracted her too much.

Now that they were alone and nothing distracting was pulling at her attention, it surprised her she didn't notice earlier. Biting her lip, she quickly averted her eyes down towards the heather again, a hand brushing across it absentmindedly. Belatedly she realized it was pretty rude to stare at him like a gaping idiot, but she couldn't really help herself.

After all, she had been born with pointed ears too and endured years of ridicule for it. Genetic Quirk, she tried to tell them when she got older, but that only brought on a new nickname: Genny Quirk. Trying to make up for her inability to be subtle, she reached up and brushed her hair behind her own pointed ear with a wry smile, her eyes flicking over to see his own smile in return.

 **"Ellon."** He gestured at himself, then reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. **"Elleth."** Heather could tell he was trying to convey something important to her, but she couldn't understand exactly what he was saying. Thankfully Elrond seemed to understand this and tried a different approach.

Reaching up, he brushed his fingers along the point of his ear and repeated the same word. **"Ellon."** Raising an eyebrow, Heather mimicked his action and touched her own ear hesitantly. He smiled slightly and dipped his head in a shallow nod. **"Elleth."**

 **"Elleth..?"** She questioned, earning a wide smile for it from him once the word left her mouth. Nodding his head, Elrond rested his hand on her shoulder again. **"Elleth."**

 _'Wonder if it's a nickname or something...'_ Heather smiled back and straightened up, hands brushing the loose grass that had stuck to her pants. _'No, he seemed pretty certain about it, they're pretty close together too...'_ Biting her lip in thought, she allowed Elrond to take her arm and lead her back to the room she woke up in.

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After falling asleep again, Heather woke up to Strider peering around the edge of the door to her room, blue eyes curious as she sat up and quirked an eyebrow at him in question. Seeing she was fully awake, he stepped inside and sat in the chair beside her bed. **"Queel amrun."** (Good morning) He nodded at her as she brushed her hair from her face and send an exasperated look in his direction.

Eyes sparkling with amusement, he simply repeated the phrase again, this time with the added gesture towards the light shining through the window. Heather furrowed her brows slightly in thought before it dawned. "Oh, Good morning." She grinned over at him smugly, spotting the confused look on his face and chalking it up as a point for her this time. _'How do you like being confused?'_

Rolling her eyes slightly, she thought over what he said carefully before trying to repeat it herself. **"Queal amroon."** She tried, only getting a chuckle for her effort. Narrowing her eyes on Strider, she waited until he stopped and settled his gaze back on her.

Strider, seeing the irritated look on her face, cleared his throat and straightened in the chair. **"Qu-eel Am-Ru-n."** Saying it slowly this time so she could hear the inflections for each syllable. **"Queel... Am... Run."** Looking over for confirmation, a small grin spread across her face at his nod.

"Queel amrun." Heather laughed lightly, making Strider chuckle himself at her obvious enjoyment at learning yet another new phrase. _'I should probably start writing this stuff down or I'll forget it...'_ Looking around the room, she spied her pack settled against the wall across from her bed and got out of bed so she could retrieve it.

Strider watched with interest as she dropped the heavy bag on her bed and began digging in it. Moments later, she pulled out the same odd book with blank, lined paper and the strange stick with glass-like material. Clutching the blue top between her teeth, she pulled it off much to his surprise and flipped the book open and began scribbling on the page with a look of concentration.

Leaning forward, he watched with another shock of surprise as the stick left behind blue lines with each pass over the paper. Heather spied his movement and glanced up at him, eyes following his gaze until it landed on the pen in her hand. ' _Alright...'_ Straightening up, she held it out so he could take it with a wry smile. "Pen." Strider looked up from his perusal of the pen when she spoke.

Finally feeling like she understood his amusement when he taught her 'good morning' earlier, Heather bit back a laugh and tapped the pen with her finger. "Pen." Understanding dawned on his face as he looked back down at the object in his hand. "Pean."

"No... P-e-n." She said each letter slowly, over-enunciating each sound for him. Strider's eyebrows pulled together as he concentrated. "Pen..."

Clapping her hands, she grinned at him and nodded. "Pen." Seeing his answering grin, she picked up the notebook next and held it up for him to see. "Note. Book."

Reaching out, he brushed his fingers over the blue cover curiously before trying to repeat. "Nota Brook." Heather shook her head and put the book down so he would pay attention. "Noo-T-ee BoooK." She watched as he twisted his lips to the side slightly, pen twirling around his fingers while he thought. "Note. Book." He finally managed, earning another round of applause from Heather.

Strider grinned at her as she laughed brightly, finally feeling like she managed to accomplish something when the door opened again, this time Elrond peering in before joining the two there. Peering down at the few items Heather had dug from her bag, he glanced at Strider. **"Man cerig?"** (What are you doing?) Hearing more words she didn't understand, Heather bit back a scowl and started digging through her pack again, looking to see what all was still in there.

Strider gestured towards Heather with a grin on his face. "She is attempting to teach me her language." He answered with some measure of amusement, his gaze drifting down to the pen he still held in his hands. "This is a writing utensil called a 'pen'." He added, holding it up for Elrond to take. Hearing a word she recognized, Heather looked up from the growing pile of things and over at her two companions curiously to see Elrond studying the pen up close.

Reaching out, Strider tapped the notebook sitting on her bed with a questioning glance towards her. Nodding her head lightly at his unasked question, she ducked back into her pack once more as he picked it up and held it out for Elrond to take next. "This is a notebook." He added when the elf took it from his hand, flipping it open to see the blue markings scribbled on the paper inside. "I take it this is her language?" He asked, tilting the notebook so Strider could see what she had written inside.

"Yes, I managed to teach her good morning. After which she retrieved this from her pack and began writing in it. I believe she is writing down the phrases and words she learns for translation." Strider peered closely at the words and frowned. "It uses the same alphabet as Common, perhaps it will not be so difficult for her to learn."

"Indeed." Elrond began flipping the pages back, moving towards the front of the book where she had various sketches of land he assumed to be grassland. Flipping more pages, he studied the drawings with a critical eye. She had a talent for it, he could easily admit, however with only blue ink, it became difficult to discern what was light and dark. Tapping Strider on the shoulder, he drew the man's attention away from Heather as she delved deeper into her bag and held out the notebook for him to see. "So she can draw..." He murmured, taking it from the elf and studying the sketches curiously. "Though none of these seem familiar."

Wide grassland and marshland littered the pages with a few sketches of trees in between them. Nothing looked familiar, not to say she had gone to places he hadn't and sketched them, but it was a bit of a stretch considering he had travelled all over. Heather glanced up at them and spotted the sketches. "Ah!" Reaching out she took the book from Strider's hands and held it to her chest, a fierce blush blooming on her cheeks.

"Apparently she did not expect us to find them." Strider commented, amused at her reaction as she attempted to bury the notebook in the bottom of her bag away from their prying eyes. "It would appear so." Elrond hid a smile and watched as she turned back to the spread of various items on her bed, seemingly taking stock of what was there.

A soft knock at the door brought three heads around to look at it. "Come in." Elrond called out, prompting the young elleth maid to step inside shyly. "My lord, Master Gandalf sent word he will be arriving later today rather than tomorrow." She murmured in a soft tone, her gaze fixed on the floor between them. Heather leaned on the bed to peer around Elrond, curious despite herself.

"Very well, you may leave." Nodding his head in dismissal, he turned back to Heather who was still peering around him at the maid as she left the room. A small frown pulling at her lips as she looked back up at Elrond, her eyes drawn to the pointed tip of his ears like last night. The girl that came in had the same ears, making her re-think the fact that Elrond had the same genetic quirk as she did. It seemed kind of odd to meet someone with the same type of birth defect as her. Very odd to meet yet _another_ person with the same exact thing.

It just seemed like things weren't as cut and dry as she originally thought. Turning her gaze over to Strider, she tipped her head slightly, trying to catch sight of his ears hidden behind his hair. When she couldn't see, Heather frowned slightly and gestured at her own ears and back at Strider's hair, trying to get her point across.

Sending a curious look over at Elrond, Strider moved his hair to the side, revealing the blunt ear of man. Okay, so he didn't have them, so... She looked back at Elrond in utter confusion, a hand waving at Strider in question.

Finally, it hit Strider, her confusion, her odd items, the way she acted and how she didn't know either language. And finally her reaction to their ears, it all made sense to him. "She did not know of her heritage." He murmured under his breath, more in surprise than anything. Elrond sent a sharp look at Strider then glanced back at Heather who seemed to be deep in thought, teeth worrying her lower lip while she did.

"I believe she may have lived where there were no elves. No one to speak of about it." The man finally looked up at the elvish lord with a frown. "She may have believed she was human."

"Impossible, her elvish blood is too strong not to be seen." Elrond shook his head at Strider's suggestion, trying to brush it off but unable to completely disagree with him. Her surprise at his ears last night coming forward in his thoughts. Strider stayed silent, merely watching the girl as she thought to herself. Turning his attention back to her as well, Elrond studied her in silence. It was difficult to think an elleth grew up without knowing of her own people, much less even know what she was.

Deep in his soul, he felt a shooting pain for the poor girl if this happened to be true. To grow up not knowing she happened to be one of the first, to be tricked into thinking she was human all her life only to find others like her must be utterly confusing. Now he understood why she acted the way she did, it all began to come together like the pieces of a puzzle.

Unable to stop himself, he reached out and rested a gentle hand on her head, making Heather look up at him with a pair of lost eyes. Smiling softly, he brushed his hand on her hair, soothing her soul he could hear cry out in confusion. The Valar smiled on her to send Gandalf sooner than expected, she would need the comfort the old wizard could provide her.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Yet another chapter! Sorry it took so long, I was studying a bunch of elvish stuff online to try and get some information correct, I still think some of it is wrong, but eh, what can you do?**

 **Anyway, On top of that, I've been working on another chapter for my other active story, so basically I've been writing both of them at the same time, so it takes a bit to put new chapters out, just so you guys know.**

 **As for my new followers and the reviews I've gotten: Thank you! I love seeing you guys review, makes my day to see my e-mail have messages about reviews I've gotten. It really does, so please, keep them coming!**

 **For those of you that are following me for the first time: I'll just come forward right off the bat, I am eccentric and have a very... Interesting view on what entertainment is. I enjoy making my OC suffer through embarrassing situations as well as horrible ones, so a heads-up for the future.**

 **Also, I have a facebook page in case you're interested in stuff I post on there, various pictures, explinations and odds I don't talk or post on here. The tag end is /TLS0nya just in case you wanna go look. I don't update or post on it all too often, so I don't blame you if you don't like it or anything.**

 **I think that about covers things, so let's get onto the story!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters.**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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Struggling not to wince with each pull of the comb through her hair, Heather suffered in silence as another pointy-eared woman, Arwen, detangled her hair with that same, gentle expression on her face. After the other woman left, Elrond had disappeared for a few moments only to return with Arwen behind him.

After much gesturing and words she couldn't understand for the life of her, he finally managed to get the point across that Arwen wanted to help her get ready for some reason. With a shrug of her shoulders, Heather relented and let Arwen lead her over to the small desk and chair so she could begin combing her hair.

 **"Lle naa vanima."** (You are beautiful.) Arwen's voice broke through Heather's thoughts, making her twitch slightly in surprise. "Um..." She mumbled, shifting uncomfortably as her companion laughed softly and began combing her fingers through the sides of her hair lightly, separating the strands into three sets and started braiding them together.

Peering at her from the corner of her eye, Heather watched Arwen curiously. When Elrond introduced them, she seemed a bit confused with the way he did it, but after a few words from him, she nodded in understanding and simply smiled gently at Heather while gesturing to her hair.

Much like everyone else she met here, she was gentle, kind and understanding almost to a fault. It was surreal after dealing with people from where she came from to find a city full of people like this, almost like they didn't know what violence was. But that wasn't right was it? Her eyes drifted down to the strong fingers braiding her hair curiously. They weren't just slender, Heather could easily see the strength hidden in her hands.

Just who were these people?

* * *

Constant head shakes, changing of clothes and several what she suspected to be denials later, Heather found herself standing outside in a courtyard-like area wearing a silver dress and her hair in a careful updo, the braids on the side of her head itching slightly from being put in an unfamiliar place. Twitching at the various curious stares she received from passing people, she tried to hide behind both Elrond and Strider much to their obvious amusement.

Shooting both of them a glare at their low chuckles, she ducked down when another man passed by, curious eyes drifting over to her red face when he spotted her. "What is with all of the staring, it's like you guys never get visitors here." She muttered, earning curious looks from her companions for it.

Hiding her face, she simply stood behind them in silence, contemplating just what kind of situation she was in this time when Strider straightened up suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts. Peering out from behind him, she spotted a grey-robed figure walking towards them and frowned. This is what they were waiting for? This... Old man?

Elrond's face broke out into a smile as he strode forward to greet the visitor, a hand stretching out to clasp arms with him, words spilling between the two of them while they made their way back to her and human meat-shield.

"You say she has no understanding of either language?" Gandalf questioned with a frown, eyes drifting over to where Aragorn stood, a head of red hair peering out from behind him with curious blue eyes pointed in his direction. "Indeed. We have tried to speak with her in both Elvish and Common with no result. She speaks a language neither I or Aragorn understand." Elrond murmured, his own gaze landing on Heather as she hid back behind Aragorn once more, a small smile tugging at his lips at the sight.

"She seems shy." Gandalf chuckled, coming to a stop in front of Aragorn, head dipping slightly in greeting with the man as he tried to catch sight of the small woman once more. "This is a first, she seems welcoming to all whenever they greet her. However, it is the first time she has been in the open while the others are out. They have been curious ever since her arrival." Elrond explained quietly, earning a quiet 'ah.' from the wizard.

"Heather." Aragorn, looked over his shoulder at the young elleth with a small smile. When she looked up at him in question, he motioned with his head for her to come out from behind him. Frowning at his gesture, she shook her head slightly in response, there was something off about the new man she couldn't quite put her finger on. It made her uneasy in a way she rarely felt before, but living in the city, she learned to trust her gut feeling or be stabbed in the same gut by going down the wrong road at the wrong time.

Elrond stepped forward this time, a hand held out to her as he called the girl's name gently. "Heather." This time, she looked over at him and felt herself relax oh-so-slightly at the calm face he wore and slowly extended her own hand to grasp his, allowing him to pull her out from behind Strider to stand beside him.

Keeping her attention, he brushed a hand over her hair gently then gestured at the wizard. "Gandalf." Blue eyes drifted over to the old man, curiosity sparking in them as she twisted her lips to the side thoughtfully. "Gandorf."

Hearing that, Strider coughed suddenly, trying to hide the loud laugh that had slipped out. Covering his mouth, he turned away and attempted to choke back his amusement. Closing his eyes, Elrond had a better chance at holding back his laughter at the wizard's affronted expression and shook his head. "Gan. Dal .Ph." He sounded it out this time, making Heather blush at her poor attempt.

"Gandalf." She murmured softly, almost worried she'd say it wrong again as she ducked her head in embarrassment. Still trying to bite back his chuckles, Strider turned back around and patted her on the shoulder gently. When she looked up at him, he smiled and nodded his head, making her smile back in return. "Apologies, Gandalf, she is still struggling with the language."

Waving a hand, the wizard chuckled and shook his head. "Pay it no mind, old friend, I was merely surprised." Leaning over slightly, he smiled at Heather when she looked at him, that same guarded look looming in her eyes as she studied him. _**"Tru nrud** **yi?"**_ (How are you?) He asked conversationally, earning an exasperated look from her when he spoke.

Looking up at Elrond, she frowned and shook her head, gesturing at Gandalf almost in irritation and back at herself. The elf studied her for a moment then nodded his head ever so slightly when he understood what she was trying to say. Looking back up, he caught the wizard's curious look and smiled wryly. "She has managed to get her point across to us using gestures, after a day, you begin to understand what she means.

"What did she just say?" Gandalf asked, one bushy eyebrow raised upwards when she turned to look at him with a small frown, it appeared she was irritated with him now.

"She wanted to know if I had told you she could not speak the language." Came the elf's reply, his voice amused when she shook a finger at the wizard as if scolding him.

"Ah, well that will explain her sudden vexation with me." He chuckled and straightened back up, hand gripping his staff tight for a moment as he thought. "Perhaps a quieter place to speak in private?" He finally asked, spying several elves loitering around the courtyard.

"Ah." Elrond nodded, spotting the elves the same time Gandalf did and turned to lead the small party away from the prying eyes and into the building behind them. Heather, only ever seeing the healing ward and the city from the outside at night, turned her head from side to side, eyes wide as she took in the different architecture of the hallways they walked down.

Aragorn fell into step beside her, a hand waving at the ivy growing along the handrail beside them with a small grin hovering around his lips. It didn't take long for him to realize her fascination with the plantlife growing here after studying her examine one of the potted plants in the corner of her room with deep concentration.

Heather smiled wide at the sight of the ivy and patted Strider on the arm to get his attention. "I-vy." She said slowly, one finger pointing at the plant, eyes still focused on his face while she spoke.

Strider glanced at the plant then back at her before trying to repeat the word back. "Ivy?" Grinning wide, she nodded her head and patted his arm lightly, completely oblivious to Gandalf's curious gaze as they made their way into a small meeting room.

Breaking away from her new friend, Heather wandered over to the small balcony and rested her hands on the railing, a peaceful look stealing over her face as she felt the wind blow across her face gently.

Settling down in the chairs, the three men studied her in silence for a moment, watching as she leaned against the railing this time, completely unaware of their attention as she studied the city from her new vantage point.

"She cannot speak Elvish or Common, yet is still able to get her thoughts across to you." Gandalf finally spoke up, turning his attention over to Elrond as the elf pulled his gaze away from Heather as well. "Yes. She is very intelligent." He murmured, his eyes drifting over to Strider as he continued studying the elleth. "She has managed to learn two elvish phrases since her arrival and uses them correctly."

"Is that so?" Gandalf leaned back in his chair in surprise, eyes darting over to the elleth and back to Elrond. "How?"

"She studied two of the elves in the room while they spoke and understood one was saying something close to her language's version of 'thank you'. After which she repeated to me." Aragorn spoke up, his eyes moving over to the wizard's thoughtful expression. "She can learn, however with no translation in her language, it will prove difficult."

"Indeed." Resting his chin on his folded hands, Gandalf stared at the table in front of him, deep in thought over what the two had told him, lips pulled in a slight frown.

"There is a book, one I believe may be of use for the first time since I had received it many years ago." He finally spoke up, making both men turn to him at the same time in question. "I will not pretend to know how it works, however, I do know it can be used for translation such as this." He tipped his head towards Heather who had wandered over to where they were and sat down beside Elrond.

"From my understanding, if held by the one wishing to learn a language, it will translate the words within it in their own words, followed by the phrase in the new language they are attempting to learn." He continued on, making Elrond send a thoughtful look at Heather who simply looked confused, eyes locked on the wizard while he spoke.

"It will take some time for me to retrieve it, I have left it in Mirkwood after a quick visit with Thranduil. He requested it's use and I saw no reason to deny him." A small sigh slipped from the wizard as he leaned back in his chair, a hand disappearing into his robe for a moment then reappeared holding a pipe.

"Mayhap Legolas will bring it, it would be quicker." Aragorn spoke up, earning a small nod from Gandalf. "You would be right. However, I have no way to reach him as his father... _Requested_ he help the patrol take care of the spiders within Mirkwood."

"I will go." Aragorn stated, earning a quick look from Elrond. "I can reach Mirkwood within a week ***** and return with the book in the same amount of time." Looking from Gandalf to Elrond, he rested his hands on the table as he leaned forward, waiting for them to speak.

"It may be the quickest way." Elrond finally stated slowly, his gaze drifting back to Heather beside him with a slight frown, he had hoped to begin teaching her sooner, but without the book, it would prove to be difficult.

"Indeed." Gandalf murmured, chewing on the end of his pipe in thought before blowing a perfect smoke ring to Heather's surprise. Reaching up, she cut through it with a finger and giggled when he blew another one.

"She has such a childish view on things." The wizard chuckled, blowing a row of rings followed by a bird to fly through them for her entertainment. Seeing the bird, her eyes widened in wonder, following the smoke until it dispersed against the ceiling.

"I wonder..." He murmured suddenly, leaning forward with a gleam in his eyes. "How old is she?"

That question brought both Elrond and Aragorn up short, sharing quick looks with each other, they both turned their attention to an increasingly confused Heather as she stared at the three of them in return. "I did not think of that." Reaching over the table, Aragorn rested his hand on top of Heather's, getting her full attention then paused, unsure of how to ask her what her age was.

Humming thoughtfully, Gandalf watched as she quirked an eyebrow at Aragorn's silence, obviously having no idea just why he got her attention before clearing his throat. "Perhaps a visual." Pulling on his pipe again, he blew out a string of numbers and pointed his pipe at her, then at the dispersing numbers in front of her.

Furrowing her brow, Heather shot a questioning look at Gandalf, obviously lost on what he wanted from her. Harrumphing slightly, he blew out another number, then pointed at himself, trying to get his point across in a simpler fashion.

Comprehension dawned and she smiled wryly at the wizard before glancing around the table for something. Pursing her lips, she turned to Elrond and mimed writing on her hand questioningly.

Nodding his head, he stood and peered out the door, speaking quietly with someone for a moment then waited while they hurried off. A few minutes later, they returned with her notebook and pen which he handed off to her when he sat back down. Smiling happily, she murmured a quick 'Hannon lle' and opened it to a blank page and scribbled a quick number on it then slid it across the table to Gandalf.

"Twenty-Four." He read out loud, eyebrows shooting up at the surprisingly young age she was. Looking up, he locked eyes with Elrond before turning to Heather once more. "She is but a child." The elf said in surprise, eyebrows raised as well when she looked up at him in confusion.

"But she seems to be mature." Aragorn frowned, not sure just what to think about her when Heather tossed an ever-increasingly frustrated look at him. "Mayhap they age differently where she came from."

"Perhaps." Gandalf gripped his pipe between his teeth thoughtfully, gaze not wavering from the young woman (Child?) in front of him. "However I am beginning to believe not everything we see as normal is the same with her." He added, gaining curious looks from the two men.

"Why do you believe this?" Elrond frowned at the wizard, getting his attention as he puffed out another round of rings in thought. "There are simply too many differences."

Leaving that curious statement hanging in the air, he stood and tapped his pipe out. "For now, we will focus on teaching her to speak with us, then our many questions will be answered." He cast a look over at Heather as she watched the last of his smoke rings vanish with an air of wonder. "Our curiosity can wait until she can speak."

"Of course." Elrond nodded, standing as well, followed by Aragorn and Heather as she looked up at him in question. "Aragorn, ride fast, I believe our frustration is slight compared to what hers is." Hearing this, Aragorn nodded and turned to Heather with a gentle smile, a hand patting her on the head quickly before he turned and left the room much to her confusion.

"Heather." Elrond gained her attention once more, his usual gentle smile in place when she looked up at him in question. "Arwen will accompany you." He said slowly, only earning a frown of confusion in return. Turning, he waved at the door where he knew his daughter waited and waved her in.

Seeing a familiar face, Heather grinned at the woman then looked up at Elrond, gesturing at herself then his daughter in turn questioningly. Seeing she finally understood, he nodded and waved for her to join Arwen as she left the room.

Once they were out of sight, he turned to Gandalf, a small frown on his face. "I cannot begin to imagine the confusion she must be going through. Being unable to speak with anyone she meets." He murmured to his friend as he joined him at the balcony.

"Yes, it must be very frustrating." The wizard agreed, catching sight of Aragorn as he raced out of Rivendell and towards Mirkwood. "We may rest easy knowing Aragorn will return in two weeks' time, however. It will not be long after that when she will understand."

"A small blessing." Elrond sighed, turning his head to watch his daughter and Heather walking along the edge of the courtyard quietly, hands gesturing from time to time as they tried to speak without words. "I can only hope she learns quickly for her sake."

Staying silent, Gandalf merely nodded, his own gaze drawn to the curious Elleth as well. Question after question hovering in his mind but unable to be answered until she learned the language herself.

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 **(*I understand it probably takes a lot longer to reach Mirkwood from Rivendell, but I figure two weeks would be plenty long for Heather to wait.)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Here we are once again, gotta say it's pretty easy to pop out these in the beginning, however near the middle things start slowing down unfortunately. Glad I still have new followers though, I saw you like and follow my story, don't think I didn't! Thank you for that.**

 **Reviews people, I'd like to see your thoughts on the new chapter, did you like it, hate it? Something need to be changed? I need to know so I can fix it.**

 **Erm I think that's all for now, let's move onward, shall we?**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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 **(Imma do a time skip because I'm lazy. And on top of that I don't see what Heather could do for two weeks that wouldn't be incredibly boring or repetitive.)**

* * *

Days passed with Heather spending more and more time with Arwen as they wandered about Rivendell, her new friend showing her various places to go for peace and quiet or to simply hide away from everyone when it got to be too much. Which... Happened quite a lot, now Heather had NOTHING against meeting new people, in fact, she loved it. However having countless people walk up to her and try to talk or even touch her hair in what she guessed was a friendly manner got to be a bit much.

To say she took full advantage of Arwen's favorite places would be an understatement considering she spent nearly every day in one of them, usually around noon as that was when most of the people in the city took the time to just walk around. Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, Heather bit into her apple with a small sigh, her eyes closed against the flickering light filtering down through the trees above her as she relaxed. _'I could get used to this..._ ' She thought to herself for what felt like the thousanth time since waking up in the healing ward.

A week and a half since then and it felt, dare she say it? Completely natural to walk around in the unusually soft clothes, eat endless amounts of fruits and vegitables - _They didn't eat meat here!_ \- and just let time pass her by without feeling rushed to do anything. It was like a never ending vacation in the most beautiful place ever. Taking the last bite of her apple, she stood up on the branch and tossed the core deep into the woods and brushed her hands off on her pants, something Arwen seemed to find scandalus whenever she did it, and swung down to the mossy forest floor below.

Another thing the others -that being Arwen, Elrond and Gandalf- seemed to find odd was her preference to be barefoot. Something about _'Hobbits'_ and something else she didn't quite catch before she finally managed to get it across to them that she hated having her feet covered if it was warm. After countless shoes being delivered to her room when she woke up only to be left on the floor, they finally gave up and just left her be.

Grinning slightly at the memory of Elrond's affronted expression when he saw her dirty feet the first day she went out on her own, Heather knelt down and dug out the spare set of shoes she had stashed there and made a face at them. After much arguing, she finally agreed to wear shoes while INSIDE after she had noticed the footprints she left behind. After she had a bath though, she could be as barefoot as she wanted to be and no one could say otherwise.

Tucking them under her arm, she wandered down the narrow path back towards the building, the fragrant wind blowing against her face as she walked along. It felt like spring every day she spent here, a never-ending amout of days full of warm -but not too warm- weather, soft rain and flowers in full bloom.

If she had been anyone else in this situation, she might have been panicing about getting back to where she came from, worrying about friends or family, a job even. But... A frown pulled on Heather's lips as her thoughts took a dark turn not for the first time since she had arrived. There was nothing there for her. Both parents dead in a car crash, no real friends aside of one that was really too busy with her own life. She had quit her job before going to Ireland and her apartment had been put up for rent a few weeks after she left, everything but the things she had in her bag had been auctioned off while she was halfway across the world and there was nothing she could have done about it.

Well, she was late on the rent, but let's be honest here, she didn't care. The apartment was a piece of crap. The walls were constantly falling apart, the bathroom floor practically rotted through to the point where she didn't even bother taking her showers there anymore, she chose to use the showers at the local gym instead. The living room was maybe a few feet larger than her bedroom ad the kitchen was what people would call a 'galley kitchen'. Just a narrow walkway with a sink and counter on one side and a stove and refrigerator on the other. Barely any room to turn around in it really.

So.. No she wasn't all that worried about getting back to nothing. She had so much more here than she could have ever asked for. Friends, very good friends that she always hoped for. A rather... Eccentric grandfather-figure was something she loved considering both grandparents were dead by the time she was old enough to remember anything. Gandalf was odd, magical and a bit... Well _weird,_ but she adored him after spending a few days alone in the library with the old man. She still couldn't quite figure out where he hid his pipe other than somewhere in his beard, but that was just too weird for him.

Pausing at the edge of the path, Heather took a moment to look over Rivendell, forcefully clearing her mind of the thoughts plaguing her just so she could appreciate the sight before her. Beautiful wasn't even an appropriate word to describe her new home, there were too many words she could use to try and describe the buildings and nature and they would never be enough. Grinning slightly once more, she made her way down into the city, shoes dangling off of one hand, the other outstretched so her fingers could trail over plant and building alike as she passed by.

 **"Quel andune, Heather."** (Good afternoon, Heather) Arwen's voice brought Heather up short, looking over her shoulder, she grinned at her friend as the woman walked over to join her. **"Quel andune, Arwen."** She answered carefully, still worried about tripping over the new phrase she had been taught just that morning.

The answering smile she recieved was enough to put her mind at ease for pronouncing it wrong and they continued walking together in customary silence. Ever since Strider took off that day, Arwen had taken it upon herself to teach Heather what she could of the Elvish language while he was gone, and truthfully it was going fairly easy. The woman had a way of getting her point across that Heather almost always understood what she was saying. Almost always... Remembering that morning when her friend was trying to tell her she could bathe in her room, she winced. That was not one of her brightest moments.

Heather had misinterpretd Arwen's gestures for her telling her to undress for no reason at all. And let's just say it wasn't a very good conversation until she finally understood what she was saying. Arwen wasn't insulted thankfully, however the sight of Heather blushing so hard the tips of her ears turned pink had prompted laughter until she ducked behind the changing room door. Afterwards, she couldn't even look at Arwen in the face without blushing horribly, which she found amusing to no end.

Seeing her companions questioning look, Heather just sent a wry smile in her direction and shrugged slightly, but the slight pink on her cheeks gave away just what it was on her mind, earning a soft giggle from Arwen. Rolling her eyes, Heather paused outside the door long enough to slip the hated shoes on her feet with a grimace and followed Arwen inside.

She doubted she would ever be able to live that down anytime soon.

...LINE BREAK...

 **"Estel!"** Aragorn heard Legolas before he saw him, a grin appearing on his face as his longtime friend ran up to him, arms clasping with his as the ellon greeted him warmly. "How long has it been, Legolas?" He answered cheerfully as they let go and began walking together. It had been a few days since he arrived in Mirkwood, and only now was Thranduil able to meet him. Apparently a rise in spiders had taken place in the past month, and it took everyone's attentions to keep them at bay.

To say the usually peaceful air in Mirkwood was full of stress was an understatement. "Years, **Ada** (Father) had mentioned you arrived a few days ago when I reported to him." The elf answered easily, sharp eyes glancing over at Aragorn before facing forward again. "He also mentoned you came to retrieve the translation book Gandalf loaned to him some time ago."

"He would be correct, though I have no recollection of telling him that." Aragorn murmured, an eyebrow raising slightly at this information. All he had said when he asked to see Thranduil was he needed to speak with him on something.

"Gandalf sent word ahead of you." The elf chuckled, making the man beside him bite back a groan. "Of course he did."

"Tell me, is there truly an elleth that cannot speak either language?" There it was, the real reason for Legolas's curiosity. He knew it was bound to come forward eventually, Aragorn shook his head with a slight grin. "Truly. It is hard to believe, but I have met and spoke with her myself. In fact..." He paused and sent an exasperated look at the elf, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. "I happen to be the one that found her."

"Found her?" The elf's eyebrows bunched together in confusion as he stopped as well, a slight frown pulling at his lips. "I had believed she arrived in Rivendell."

"Indeed, unconcious in my arms, she arrived. She had suffered a blow to the head." Aragorn explained, watching as Legolas thought over what he said. "Did something attack her?"

"I do not know, without a way to speak with her, there is no telling how she came to be so close to Rivendell with such a wound. This is why I am retrieving the book from your father." Turning away from the elf, Aragorn continued walking, Legolas falling into step beside him once more. "I can see why now."

"I pray there are no difficulties while I return, I have already spent too much time waiting here." The man sighed slightly, thinking about his promise to make it no more than two weeks. By the looks of things it would take him another week to get back now. "I doubt father will refuse, as it isn't truly his." Legolas clapped Aragorn on the arm before turning down another hallway. "I will see you later, **Mellon lle**." (friend)

"Of course." Waving at the elf, he turned and headed into the meeting room where Thranduil waited for him.

Hours later found Aragorn tucking the wrapped book into his saddle bag with an air of relief. Thankfully the elf king saw no reason to make him wait any longer than he had, though with a stipulation: Once the elleth learned to speak, he was to escort her there so he could question her on her ability to reach the borders of Erendell without being spotted. He felt it could become an issue if others learned of this, he wanted to be able to cover that in the border patrol should it ever become an issue.

Biting back a sigh, he shook his head at the king's 'request' and went to mount his horse only to catch sight of another steed heading in his direction. Spotting a familiar face sitting atop it, he paused and raised an eyebrow at Legolas as he pulled to a stop beside him. "And just what are you doing?"

"I am offering my company to a slow man." Legolas grinned and brought his horse over closer to his friend and leaned down. "He is late on his return after all."

Chuckling, Aragorn pulled himself up onto the saddle and brought his horse around so he could face the elf, a challanging gleam in his eyes. "Is that so?"

"As an elf, I find no reason to lie." The princling scoffed playfully and smirked at Aragorn when the man snorted lightly. "Very well, let us see if you can keep up." The man clicked his tongue and urged his horse to move out at a steady clip, followed closely by Legolas.

* * *

Heather let her arm and leg dangle off of the branch she laid on, humming softly as she scanned the treeline for the millionth time that day. Strider was late and she was bored, Arwen had been called off to help her father with something, Gandalf was holed up in the library once again and she didn't really know anyone else to hang out with. So that afternoon found her laying on her stomach in a tree near the entrance to Rivendell and eyes locked onto the gateway with a frown on her face.

It's not like she couldn't make friends, but it seemed annoying to hang out with someone and not understand anything they said aside of a few phrases here and there. Everyone here was very welcoming and kind, but without the ability to speak with them, she just stayed away from the small groups she spotted from time to time.

Another sigh left her as she once more let her eyes drift across the trees in front of her, searching for something, anything to tell her Aragorn was back. Granted when he got back, he probably had something to do too, but she could at least show off her new knowledge to him before he vanished too. Maybe his horse would want a brushdown or something.

A movement in the corner of her eye brought Heather up onto her elbows, eyes narrowed as she scanned the area carefully before spotting a small figure approaching through the woods. "Ah! About damn time!" She muttered, getting to her feet and watching as another figure joined the first, prompting a small frown to pull at her lips. The first was undoubtedly Strider, anyone could recognize that head of hair, but the one next to him... Blond and had a bow strapped to his back, was someone she never saw before.

"Hmm..." Deciding to wait until they got through the archway, she reached up and gripped the branch above her, leaning forward slightly so she could study the newcomer as they drew closer. He wasn't all that bad-looking, but she still felt a small twinge of nervousness in her gut. While the guy was with Strider, he couldn't be that bad, but judging from the various weapons strapped to his back spoke of his obvious proficanty at using them.

Crouching down, she watched Aragorn dismount his horse after riding through the archway and hand it off to a nearby man standing nearby before turning to the new guy and motioning him to follow him.

 _'Hmmm...'_

* * *

"Come, I need to give this book to Gandalf." Aragorn called over to Legolas, prompting the elf to dismount beside him and look around curiously. "I'm sure she is with Arwen, they were fast becoming friends when I had left." The man clapped his friend on the shoulder before turning to head inside to find the wizard.

Another shift in the breeze made Legolas glance over his shoulder as he followed Aragorn inside, something tickling the edges of his senses but he couldn't quite pinpoint it.

Heather wated until they were inside before dropping down from her branch and stealthly stalked them inside, ducking around corners and behind various objects whenever the other guy looked around. Before long she turned it into a slight game, giving the other guy just the smallest glimpse of her hair as she turned around a corner or let him catch sight of her fingers before pulling them down when she hid behind something.

Biting back a giggle when she spotted his slightly frustrated glance, Heather peered out from behind a potted plant and watched as they paused outside of Elrond's study and waited to be called in. Once they were inside, she slid out from behind the plant and walked softly up to the door and pressed her ear against it.

With the door so thick, all she could catch were snippets of conversation, mostly what she could understand were names she knew and the phrase **'Mani marte?'** (What happened?). Before she could react the door was pulled open, prompting her to fall forward in an ungraceful heap at Strider's feet.

Grumbling under her breath, she looked up at his amused expression and stuck her tongue out at him only further prompting him to chuckle and turn to say something to the guy beside him in elvish. Getting to her feet, she brushed the front of her pants off and ran a hand over her hair before turning to study the new man curiously.

"Heather." Strider pulled her attention away from the blond newcomer and back to his still grinning face. **"Mani?"** (What?) Seeing his eyebrows lift in surprise, she sent him a smug grin and folded her arms over her chest. "Arwen." She added at his questioning look and shrugged slightly.

He chuckled again and shook his head before waving a hand at the man beside him. "Legolas." He said slowly, sounding out the consanants so she could hear it properly. Heather looked back at the curious man with a tilt of the head then smiled and brought her hand up to her chest and brought it out in front of her in a sweeping movement like Arwen had taught her. **"Vedui', Legolas."** (Greetings, Legolas.) Then tipped her head slightly with a little grin pulling at her lips once she spotted Strider's once more surprised expression.

Legolas's eyebrows raised slightly then returned the greeting with a smile of his own. **"Vedui', Heather."** Hearing her name, she sent a dry glance in Strider's direction then shook her head. "Heather." Hearing Elrond, she stepped around the two in front of her and approached the desk he sat at with a questioning look.

He smiled at her and waved a hand at the old book sitting on the desk in front of him. "Gandalf." He tried to explain only to recieve a small frown in return. Frowning slightly, he opened the book to the first page then gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand forward to touch the page. Watching her expression, he felt a small wave of relief wash over him as it changed from confusion to outright delight, eyes moving from side to side as she read the words in front of her.

 **"Sut?"** (How?) Heather finally asked, looking up from the obvious English words in front of her and at Elrond's pleased face. "Gandalf." Was all he said, and this time she understood, the book was magic. Somehow translating the words on the page to her own language then following it with the elvish phrase for it so she could learn. Picking up the book, she closed it and held it to her chest, a small smile pulling at her lips as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

She wasn't normally so touched over gifts, but this wasn't just a book, it wasn't just a translation for her, it was the gift of speech all over again and she could never repay the old wizard enough for it. Reaching up, she brushed at her eyes in frustration and bowed her head to Elrond before turning to leave.

"Heather." Aragorn called her, making her look up at him with red eyes, he smiled and opened his arms for her to walk into and sniffle into his dusty clothes. He chuckled lightly and patted her hair before letting go and prompting her to go find Gandalf.

Watching her leave, Legolas turned to Aragorn in confusion. "Why is she crying?" He asked, not exactly sure why the book prompted the girl to be so emotional. "I believe it is because it will allow her to speak once again." Elrond answered from behind, making him turn around and study the older elf thoughtfully. "I see."

Aragorn chuckled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "She is strange in many ways, **Mellon lle** , however you will begin to understand her after a time." Grinning, he turned to leave and went to find Arwen after a long absence to see just how much she was able to teach the girl while he had been gone.

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	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Well here we are again, and thank you for the reviews you sent, Tanner Clark. They really boosted my drive to finish this chapter!**

 **Also, to the rest of you, I love reviews, they actually give me the urge to finish whatever I'm working on so you all can read it, please, even if it's a 'good job' or 'I liked this', drop a review. The more I get, the quicker the next chapter is posted.**

 **Not much to say other than this chapter is mainly focused on Elvish and the language, though I will say this, once Heather learns the language properly, everything will be in English aside of a few key phrases or words. I'll still bold the English so you know when she's speaking Elvish and when she isn't.**

 **I think that's it for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

 **"Mani naah essa en elle?"** (What is your name? -Spelled wrong on purpose for her pronunciation-) Heather grimaced slightly, her nose wrinkling at the way she said the phrase. One thing was for sure, it would take her forever to adopt their accent. Half of the words she said came out too blunt, almost blocky if sounds had a shape anyway.

Closing the book, she leaned back against the tree behind her, arms folding behind her head as she looked up through the branches towards the fading light above her. "Jeez, and they said English was the hardest language to learn." Eyes dropping back down, she made a face at the book and picked it back up.

After she had thanked Gandalf by nearly giving the old man a heart-attack when she jumped on him in order to give him a hug, he had urged her to go study it until it was time to eat, and being as excited as she was, Heather had darted off to her favorite spot and immediately opened it to begin studying right away.

Two hours in and she could already feel a headache coming on from all she had attempted to learn. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd need help with pronunciation or forever be stuck saying things wrong or weird and end up getting looks for it either.

Strider could help her, no doubt about that, the man could speak this language perfectly. Gandalf too if she didn't mind the odd wrong inflection from time to time. She already knew Arwen would, the woman seemed to adore helping her no matter what. Elrond was probably too busy to spend day in and out helping her... Now that she thought about it, Strider and Arwen spent a lot of time together too, and it was pretty damn obvious why.

Tapping a finger against the book on her lap, Heather hummed thoughtfully under her breath. Gandalf might help her without any problem, but there was no telling when he would leave, it was pretty clear the guy didn't live here and was only visiting. "Well damn." Heaving a small sigh, she looked back down at the book and frowned at the phrase. **"Mani naAa EssA En llE..."**

 **"Mani naa essa en lle."** Jerking her head up, Heather cursed under her breath at the sharp pain from the result of the sudden movement and winced up at the man standing in front of her with an amused expression.

"Oh, it's you." Closing the book hastily, she stood up and brushed the dead leaves from her clothes then straightened up and smiled sheepishly at Legolas. Mortified he caught her in her pitiful attempt to learn his own language. It was a wonder he hadn't started laughing at her outright when he heard.

 **"Amin hiraetha."** (I'm sorry) He glanced down at the book clutched in her hands and waved a questioning glance at it. Looking down, Heather frowned slightly then held it out for him to take, his eyes gleaming with curiosity as he opened it to a random page and blinked as the words re-arranged in front of him into his own language.

Shifting from foot to foot, Heather debated on asking for the book back and going to find another place to hide or just waiting on him to finish whatever he was doing and hope he left her alone afterward. Looking up at her, Legolas bit back a slight chuckle at her obvious discomfort before handing the book back over.

Taking it from him, she sent him a small smile and ducked her head down slightly. **"Hannon lle."** (thank you)

 **"Lle creoso."** (You're welcome) He replied, earning a confused look. Smiling slightly he waved at the book in her hands. Heather pursed her lips and opened it up, eyes catching sight of what she suspected was what he said. "Oh... Well, that would make sense..." She murmured to herself, making him frown slightly. Aragorn was right, her language was like nothing he had ever heard before, not even any of the obscure languages he had come across while traveling with the man sounded even remotely like the one she used.

Looking back up, Heather tipped her head to the side and studied the guy in front of her, he had platinum blond hair with careful braids worked into the sides holding it back from his face. His eyes held a kind of intelligance and curiosity she never really saw before, but it was those damned ears that made her want to pull back. Pointed, surprise surprise, just like the rest of the people she knew. What was this, some sort of majority thing wherever she was? The birth defects being rounded ears instead?

Spotting her slight frown, Legolas lifted an eyebrow, drawing her attention back to his face and a sheepish smile appeared again. He gestured to the book in her hands again then pointed at himself with a slight grin, only to receive a blank expression in return. Frowning slightly in thought, Legolas turned and sat at the tree then gestured to the spot next to him, looking up at Heather's now confused expression as she slowly lowered herself down, putting space between the two of them with a wary look.

Glad he seemed to be making some progress with her, he motioned to the book sitting on her lap and mimed opening it with his hands. Still wearing that wary look, she slowly opened the book to a random page and held it out to him questioningly. Taking it from her, he laid it on the grass between them and pointed at one of the elvish phrases. **"Amin autien rath."** He said slowly and clearly, watching her expression suddenly lighten once she realized what he was doing. Leaning forward, she studied the phrase and glanced over at the English translation. "I am going to bed. **Amin autien rath**." She said slowly, then glanced up at him for comformation.

Dipping his head in a slight nod, he repeated the phrase again and watched expectantly as she said something in her strange tongue once more before copying what he said. Then it struck him, she was saying it in her language first, then in his as a way to remember it better. Looking down, he eyed the odd words printed next to the elvish phrase in the book and tried to say it himself. "I aum goaing tu bead."

Heather bit back a giggle and looked away, trying to hide the sudden grin on her face. It was adorable when anyone tried to say anything in her language, like a child learning to talk with adult expressions. Once she calmed down, she turned back and got his attention. "I Am gOinG too B-E-D." She sounded out slowly, watching as he listened to what she said, then to try and get the point across she repeated it in his language: **"Amin autien rath."**

Nodding slowly, Legolas swiped his tongue across his teeth thoughtfully, the words felt odd on his tongue, much like trying to hold a rock on it while speaking at the same time. "I am Going to bed..."

Grinning, Heather clapped her hands and nodded, reminded vaguely of the day she taught Strider how to say 'pen' and 'note book'. Pointing at the phrase, she smiled at his triumphant expression. **"Amin autien rath."**

Catching onto her game quickly, he smirked and pointed at it himself before repeating it in her strange language. "I am going to bed." This was a competition he could easily participate in. He adored learning new things and to have a new language previously unheard of right in front of him? Yes, he would step up to the plate so to speak.

* * *

Several hours after sundown had Aragorn searching for Heather after she had missed the evening meal. After talking with Arwen, he had gone to each of the young elf's favorite places to hide only to find nothing at all. This was the last place he had to look.

 **"Amin** getting **fauka."** (I'm _-getting-_ thirsty.)

"Then **yulna."** _(-Then-_ drink.)

Raising an eyebrow at the oddly broken elvish phrases he heard drifting towards him down the path, Aragorn paused for a moment to listen closer.

"I have **noa."** (- _I_ _have-_ an idea.)

 **"Mani?"** (What?)

A long pause followed the question which prompted Aragorn to step around the bend of the path and watch the two most unlikely elves in front of him with mounting amusement as they continued their broken conversation. It would seem while Legolas had offered to attempt and teach her Elvish, he was learning her language as well.

Looking up, Legolas cut off whatever Heather was going to say and stood up suddenly, almost surprised at being caught there. "Here I have been, searching high and low for our little elleth, only to find her safe and sound with you, learning to speak in broken Elvish." He chuckled, Heather's confused look on her face only adding to his amusement when she looked over at him.

"Legolas, what is it?" She frowned up at his uncomfortable expression and stood as well, hands holding her book to her chest as she leaned to the side so she could see his face better.

" **Ta naa** nothing." (It is _-nothing-)_ He murmured, eyes dropping down to her as he relaxed his posture slightly and smiled at her confused look.

"If **lle quen** so..." _(-If-_ you say _-So-)_ Frowning at his suddenly weird actions, she shook her head and turned to start walking down the path towards the city. "Weirdos." Rolling her eyes at both of their confused expressions, she disappeared around the corner, leaving the two of them alone.

"Teaching her, or is she teaching you?" Aragorn chuckled, earning an exasperated look from the elf. "Her pronunciation was terrible, I merely offered to help. Her speaking in her own language when learning a new phrase is bound to teach you something."

"I mean no harm by saying so, I believe it is good for her to make new friends." Aragorn turned to start walking down the path himself, Legolas falling into step beside him. "She has very few, I am sure you can imagine, the handful you see her interact with are the only ones, in fact."

"I do not see why." The elf frowned and glanced up at Aragorn. "She does not appear to be rude or reclusive."

"The language barrier made her stay away from others." The man shrugged slightly then sent a grin at the elf beside him. "It will do her good to speak with another aside from us. With you learning her language while she learns yours will prove to be invaluable in the future, I know this."

Keeping silent, Legolas merely walked back with Aragorn then departed to his room for the night. Truthfully, it had started as a game for him, but learning to speak her language and use it broken with elvish was an interesting way to converse. After he had gotten a decent enough grasp of her language, and her his, she had explained it was how many people learned a new language where she came from.

Though she never did say where she came from or why they spoke such an odd language at all. Laying back on his bed, he folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling above him, deep in thought. A few hours with her and he came up with more questions than anything. Why she spoke the way she did, how she did not know the elvish language, let alone Common. Her odd views on how things are and her fascination wth his ears.

He had caught her staring at them several times while they spoke, almost as if she couldn't help herself, once she realized he was staring, she would blush and look away, either to the book between them or at some random plant off to the side.

Humming thoughtfully, Legolas rolled onto his side and let his body relax as the moon waxed overhead outside. Perhaps Estel was right, learning to speak with her in such a way, he would be able to ask her things no one else will be able to until she learned how to speak elvish properly.

* * *

Morning dawned bright, prompting Heather to groan at the sunlight streaming through her window and pull the blanket up over her head. Thanks to her fascination last night with learning a new language, she stayed up much too late to be a morning person today. The soft knocking on her door only further irritating her in the process.

Grumbling under her breath, she pulled the blanket down and sat up, a hand rubbing her head lightly while she yawned out a garbled version of **"Tolo."** (Come), the only real word she could think to use that would get her point across.

Strider's head peered around the corner of the door for a moment then was quickly followed by the rest of him, as well as Gandalf and Elrond. Quirking an eyebrow at the unusual morning greeting, she just nodded her head at them and bit back another yawn while getting out of bed.

"Quel amrun." (Good morning) She nodded at them then turned to sort through the jumble of things she had thrown on the desk for her brush and began running it through her hair.

Three smiles and returns of the same phrase only further confused her as she sat down and raised an eyebrow at them curiously. Pulling her eyebrows together, she sorted through her limited knowledge of the language before huffing in irritation and turning around to pull the book off the table and onto her lap.

searching through the pages, she finally reached the list of common questions and ran her finger along them before finally reaching the one she wanted. **"Mani uma lle merna..?"** Heather sounded out slowly, hoping she pronounced it correctly and looked up expectantly at the three men in front of her.

They exchanged quick glances before Gandalf cleared his throat, earning her undivided attention. **"Tula, vasa yassen lye."** (Come, eat with us*) He waved a hand towards her door and tipped his head in her direction questioningly.

Frowning slightly, she sorted through the words he said and tried to think back over all she learned yesterday. She knew he said come then eat, the other words she had no idea what he meant. Best guess she had was he was asking her to eat with them, considering the other two were there.

 **"Manka lle merna."** (If you wish) She shrugged a shoulder and waved them to leave, when they hesitated, she looked down at her nightgown pointedly then back up at them, earning three embarrassed expressions as they shuffled outside to wait. Shaking her head, Heather went to her closet and dug out a set of clothes to change into then quickly joined them outside with her translation book.

Walking beside Strider, she turned to look up at him curiously and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. **"Mankoi?"** (Why) She gestured to the three of them, trying to get the proper question across and silently cursing her lack of understanding to say it properly.

 **"Lye merna quen yassen lle."** (We wish to speak with you) Was her only reply, the slight twinkle in his eyes only furthering her apprehension. What if they said they couldn't keep her there anymore? What if they just decided she was a threat somehow and were going to imprison her? Yes, she knew the ideas she had popping up in her head were a bit far-fetched, but considering the fact that anything good in her life always ended up going sour, she couldn't help jumping to the worst conclusion.

Feeling like she was being marched to her sentencing in front of a judge, Heather ducked her head down and bit back the small sigh she wanted to let out, missing the confused looks she got from her three companions.

Reaching the private conference-like room they had been in just the other day, Elrond sat and gestured for her to take the seat across from him, a similar twinkle in his eyes as he watched her settle into the chair.

Once they were seated, four people stepped in with plates full of the usual foods -bread and fruit-, set them down in front of each of them then left. Looking around, Heather noted they all had begun eating rather than telling her straight-out what exactly they wanted. _'Damn it, it's like they're enjoying this...'_ Sighing softly, she picked up an apple and started nibbling on it reluctantly, her stomach too knotted up to really be hungry at the moment.

After a few minutes _-hours!-_ of silence, Elrond cleared his throat softly, making her glance up at him, curious despite the fact she was nervous as hell. His gentle smile somewhat easing her nerves as he settled his cup down on the table and folded his hands in front of him.

"Heather." Hearing her name, she sat up straighter and nodded slightly, her jaw locking tight against anything she could have said. **"Lle rangwa amin?"** (Do you understand me) He asked slowly, giving her time to hear each word properly then sat back as she tried to work it out.

Lle was a common enough word for her to get it right off the bat, the other two proved troublesome and eluded her. With a sigh, she slid the book over in front of her and opened it with a grimace, peering through the words and phrases printed out until she reached the exact question he said.

Nodding slightly, she held up her pointer and thumb, holding them close together with a sheepish smile. **"Your family."** (I couldn't find a translation, sorry!) He started, pausing so she could look through the book once more then glance up in question when she found it.

 **"Manke naa ron?"** (Where are they) Waiting while she looked through the book, he sent a glance over to Aragorn and nodded his head subtly at the questioning glance from the man. It would take hours to speak with her this way, they had hoped Legolas's unique speech with her wouldn't be needed, however it had been nearly fifteen minutes and he had only gotten to the main point.

Standing up, Aragorn left the room quickly in search of the Elf. They had spoke early in the morning to him about what they wanted to talk to Heather about, and warned him they might need him to speak with her if things were too slow already.

Meanwhile, Heather finally translated what Elrond said and heaved a small sigh, a weary smile hovering around her lips. **"Mori."** (dead) Was her only reply, sending another shock of pain for the young elleth through Elrond. So young and she had no family at all? **"Sut?"** (how) He reached forward and rested a hand ontop of hers, watching as she blinked back tears and put on a brave face.

looking down at the book, she twisted her lips to the side thoughtfully while paging through it in search of her answer. Finding it, she shrugged slightly and looked back up at them, a wry smile tugging at her lips. **"An accident."** (Another one I couldn't find a translation for.)

Elrond shared a look with Gandlaf then, if she had no family, then she had no one to return to. It may even be the reason why she had been travelling in the first place. In search of a new home.

 **"Heather, do you enjoy living here?"** (Ugh I suck at finding stuff like this.) Blinking over at him, Heather frowned slightly then glanced at her book before nodding slowly. **"No..."** (Yes. This is _actually_ the word for yes in Elvish. Look it up if you don't believe me.) Hearing this, Elrond smiled wide and wrapped his fingers gently around her hand. At this moment Aragorn and Legolas returned, prompting her to look over at them curiously.

Sending a smile her way, Legolas bowed slightly to Elrond then sat in the empty chair beside Heather. "Good Morning." He murmured to her softly, earning a bright smile from her as she turned to look at him. "Good morning, Legolas."

Elrond's eyes widened slightly in surprise and glanced over at Aragorn in question, only earning a slight shrug of the shoulders from him. **"Mankoi** are **lle** here?" (why _-are-_ you _-here-)_ Heather frowned slightly in her confusion, watching as he settled back in the chair and tipped his head towards the three across the table from them. "They questioned."

"They asked." She corrected then turned to look at them again, giggling lightly at the confused expressions they all wore. "I see."

Nodding his head at Legolas when he turned to face him, Elrond said something quickly to him then waved a hand at Heather, obviously asking him to translate what he asked into the unique form of language they used.

 **"Ro** asked **manka lle** will stay." (He _-asked-_ if you _-will stay-)_ Legolas turned to Heather while he spoke, watching as she thought over what he said then frowned slightly. **"Mankoi?"** (why)

Elrond tipped his head to her with a small smile then turned to Legolas once more, speaking in his language fluidly then waited for him to translate again. **"Ro merna** for **lle** to be his **Iellig..."** (He wishes _-for-_ you _-to be his-_ Daughter) Legolas said slowly, surprise evident in his voice as he looked over at the older Elf. Heather frowned slightly at the unfamiliar term tagged onto the end of his sentence and opened her book again, searching through it until Legolas's slender finger appeared in her line of view, pointing at the word she was looking for.

Sucking in a shocked breath, Heather choaked slightly and tried to clear her throat, trying to cover up her sudden reaction and reached for her cup of water. His daughter? Why the hell would he ask that? Once she calmed down, Heather looked up at Elrond, eyes wide in surprise as she studied his expression. He really wanted to adopt her? She had been here for maybe three weeks, less than a month and he was asking if she would agree to be adopted by him?

Looking around helplessly, she spied both Strider's and Gandalf's pleased expressions and frowned slightly. They were in on this, they had to of talked about it for a while before coming to her. **"Mankoi?"** (why) She finally managed to get out, eyes locked onto Elrond as he studied her quietly.

 **"Amin merna ta."** (I wish it) Was his only reply, words she knew easily without a translation. Looking over at Legolas, Heather smiled weakly at his curious look and lifted her shoulder in a half-shrug. It was obvious they were all waiting on her answer from the way they stared at her, but it was a big question. One she never dreamed of since she first arrived here, after all, who automatically thinks an amazing man you adored would ask to adopt you out of the blue? This wasn't some Anne play.

Turning back to look at Elrond, she smiled slightly and let out a small sigh before closing the book in front of her slowly. "I guess it's pretty important I answer..." She muttered, three confused looks and a soft chuckle from Legolas made her laugh.

 **"No."** (Yes, seriously, look it up.)

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 **(The phrase _'Come, eat with us_ ' is a culmination of several words taken from different phrases. I might have gotten the word 'with' wrong considering only one elvish phrase had the word and I couldn't tell exactly what one it was, I chose the elvish word in the same spot _'with'_ was in the translation, so I'm hoping I got it right.)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Sorry it took so long! You have NO idea how long it takes to translate English into Elvish. A lot of my original sentences had to be re-worded just so I could use proper Elvish words in them.**

 **Anyway, here it is! Again, sorry how long it took me, next one shouldn't take so long because there won't be as many Elvish phrases in it. Just the usual amount anyway. This one is FULL of Elvish so yea... You'll see why it took so long.**

 **So, I'm glad to see I gathered a few new followers on this story while I've been working on this chapter, makes me grin to see that number go up day by day. Oh! And I've hit over 1000 views already, thank you everyone for that!**

 **As for my reviewers: _Hannon lle_ for your constant love and attention, it gives me a little burst of energy every time I read a new one. **

**Now then, shall we proceed?**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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Heather paced the ground, nervously chewing on her lower lip, eyes flicking up from the trampled grass and over to where Legolas stood, arms folded off to the side and back again. Seeing him gesture with his hand for the third time, she let out a sigh and stopped, turned to face him and held both hands out, palm up. _"Amin sila ta' lumenn llie."_ (My star shall shine with yours)

Chancing a quick glance over at him, she saw his nod and took a deep breath to calm her already frayed nerves before continuing, both hands coming together while she delivered her next line. _"Amin Agar, lle agar."_ (My Blood, your blood)

This time without looking over, she flipped her hands onto their sides and opened them again and formed a cup while continuing. _"Amin ta'na quen Iellig."_ (I shall be called Daughter)

Bringing both hands up, she placed them over her heart then brought them away, opening slowly while they moved away from her body, leaving them spread out in front of her. _"Lle ta'na quen Ada."_ (You shall be called Father)

Then, turning them back over in the first position, she closed her eyes and imagined Elrond placing his hands over her upturned ones while speaking the final line of the ceremony. _"Ilya ta'sint sina."_ (All shall know this)

Taking a deep breath, she cracked open an eye and glanced at Legolas, dreading his reaction and was surprised to see him clapping loudly. _"Quel!"_ (Good) He grinned and walked over, a hand resting on her slumped shoulder. _"Lle_ did _quel,_ Heather." (you - good)

Grinning back up at him, she let out a long, low breath. "Finally. Four times in a row and I finally get it." Stretching her arms over her head before falling back onto a pile of leaves she gathered earlier due to her habit of tripping while pacing. "Two hours of work too, new record."

Smiling wryly, Legolas seated himself beside her and plucked a leaf from her hair. _"Amin_ believe _lle_ are over-acting." (I - you -) Heather waved a tired arm at him and groaned softly at his light chuckle. "Either way, _amin anta kaim_." (I need to sleep)

Shaking his head, Legolas stayed quiet and relaxed in the light breeze blowing through the small clearing they sat in. Heather however sat up suddenly, a wide-eyed expression on her face. "Legolas, _sut nir' gwaith_ will be _eller?"_ (How many people - there) He eyed her curiously for a moment then looked back up at the trees before replying. "Only those asked."

"Oh thank goodness." She fell back onto the leaves again much to his amusement and let out a loud sigh of relief. _"Amin_ thought _eller_ would _na'a_ lot of _gwaith."_ (I - there - be a - people)

"Only _manka lle_ want." (- if you -) He answered, still amused with her reactions, all day she had been over cautious and nervous. Understandable as the ceremony would take place the next day. As far as he knew, everything else has been finished, aside of her oath, which he just managed to get her to say it properly, mostly for her benefit as she worried constantly she would embarrass Elrond by saying a word wrong.

Then there were the movements she needed to do, which, surprisingly, was easy for her to learn. She had picked up on them after only a couple of times, it was the timing she had trouble with.

Turning to look down at her, he watched as she blew a leaf off of her face and shook his head. She was certainly different from the usual elleth he knew, more prone to doing something for the sake of doing it rather than because she needed to.

 _"How goes things?"_ Gandalf's voice brought his attention back to the path where the wizard stood, a curious look on his face as he took in the sight of Heather attempting to bury herself in the leaves. "Fine, _lle_ can _autsii."_ (- you - go now) Seeing his confused glance, Legolas translated for her and chuckled at the scowl she sent him.

 _"How goes the oath?"_ The wizard walked over and nudged Heather with the end of his staff, earning a low growl from her. _"She speaks it well, I believe she is ready."_ Legolas watched as she tried push the staff away only to have it poke at her side again, making her squirm to get away.

 _"Good, now, I believe it is time to sleep. She will need the rest for tomorrow. I heard Eowen plans to help her with her outfit..."_ He sent a grin over at Legolas before turning to walk away, Heather, who had reappeared from the leaves when the word _'sleep'_ was mentioned, sent a narrow look at the elf beside her.

Feigning innocence, he stood up and offered a hand to her with his usual smile, however the amused glint in his eyes made her scowl slightly before accepting his help up and moved towards the path herself. "Heather." Turning back to where he still stood, she frowned at him in question, one eyebrow raised up slightly.

 _"Quel marth."_ (Good luck) He grinned at her, earning a narrow look before she turned away and started towards the building and her room. Despite the sneaking suspicion she would hate tomorrow, that bed was calling her name and she wouldn't ignore it either.

To hell with tomorrow, tonight, she could enjoy complete comfort and silence.

* * *

"Heather, _kuile."_ (Awake) A soft voice slowly drug Heather from her deep, comfortable sleep. Groaning softly, she shook her head and hid under her blanket. _"N'uma..."_ (No) A soft, musical laugh sounded beside her, followed by a hand shaking her shoulder. _"Ta luume'a desiel ten' i'gala."_ (It is time to ready for the celebration)

Heather frowned slightly, slowly translating the words she knew then sat up with a sigh. _"I'gala?"_ (The celebration)

 _"No."_ (Yes. Seriously, I  still can't get over this.) Arwen's eyes twinkled with amusement as her soon to be adopted sister yawned and rubbed a hand through her messy hair, still half-asleep while she got to her feet. _"Tula."_ (Come) Arwen gestured for her to follow as she lead her out into the hallway and towards the bathing room where everything had already been prepared to get the young elleth ready.

"Alright..." Fighting back another yawn, Heather let Arwen pull her into the already steaming room. The second she felt her clothes being tugged on, however, her eyes popped open. "Hey, hey! I can do this part myself." She pulled away with a sheepish expression and turned around so she could pull her shirt off.

 _"Aiya..."_ (Oh!) Arwen sucked in a surprised breath, eyes wandering over the expansive image of two wings across her shoulder blades. "What?" Heather looked over her shoulder at the woman with a small frown, confused at her expression. After getting no response, she sighed and turned around, arms crossed over her chest in a self-conscious gesture. _"Mani?"_ (What)

 _"Lle n'alaquel..."_ (Your back) Frowning slightly, Heather looked over her shoulder at her back then over at Arwen again in confusion. _"Mani?"_

 _"Raama no'lle n'alaquel."_ (Wings on your back) Arwen walked around behind Heather and gently traced the outlined feathers with a curious finger. _"Ron olwen a'lle n'alaquel."_ (They stick to your back*) Frowning just the slightest bit, she walked back in front of Heather and tipped her head to the side. _"Mani ta?"_ (What is it)

"Tattoo." She said slowly, watching as the woman thought over the word then frowned slightly. "Tatue?"

Heather laughed lightly and nodded her head. _"No,_ Tattoo." (Yes) She hesitated, trying to think of the right words to explain it to her. _"Ontkurwa no'helma."_ (To create art on the skin) She shrugged helplessly, knowing full well it wouldn't be even close to explaining how a tattoo worked and how they were made.

Arwen tipped her head to the side thoughtfully then nodded with a smile. _"Amin neek."_ (I see) Heather smiled back then turned to finish undressing and slipped into the warm bathwater waiting for her with a small sigh of relaxation.

Silence descended between the two of them, aside of the soft splashing sounds Heather made while washing herself, or Arwen's quiet humming while she finished putting aside the clothes she had picked out with much thought and care. A long tunic type shirt, grey with silver threads. Then a pair of light grey trousers to wear underneath considering how long it took to even get Heather into a dress the other day.

Then there was the hair ornament she wanted her to wear, from her father that he asked her to have Heather wear for the ceremony, carefully crafted metal heather blooms extended out from a silver hairpin and dangled down over her ear.

Stepping back, she observed the ensemble with a critical eye. Yes, she believed Heather would look beautiful once in the full outfit. Not that she wasn't beautiful without them, she had a sort of rugged beauty that was unique to only her, no, with this, she would shine like a star.

Turning to face Heather, she held out a drying cloth for her to take when she stepped out of the bath and turned back around to give her some privacy. Now she was fully awake, Arwen could see the nervousness tightening her shoulders and worry shining in her eyes. "Heather." Gaining the girl's attention, she smiled reassuringly then gestured towards the outfit with one hand.

Looking over, Heather had to bite back a small gasp of surprise. Arwen had outdone herself choosing her outfit for today, beautiful wasn't even the right word to describe it. It was all soft colors with hints of silver mixed in. Turning to her, she smiled wide and waved a hand at the clothes then back at herself, as if to ask if they were for her.

Arwen smiled and nodded her head before moving towards the clothes and picking up one of the pieces to hold out to Heather, silently saying for her to get dressed. Carefully putting the clothes on, she held still as Arwen tied the back of the shirt so it fit to her form a bit more. Then she lead her to a low stool and had her sit, brush in hand already once Heather was in place.

About a hour later, she stepped back to observe her work and smiled brilliantly, hands clapping together in silent excitement. The hairpiece her father had given her to put in Heather's hair was perfect.

Four, thin, carefully braided strands of hair were pulled back into a messy bun, the pin holding it all together, the heather flowers dangling off to the side, the cool metal gently brushing the tip of her pointed ear with every move of her head. _"Lle naa varnima."_ (You are beautiful) Arwen smiled and pulled a mirror out from behind her so Heather could see for herself.

Reaching out, she wrapped her hand around the handle and held it up apprehensively, blue eyes widening in absolute shock at the sight that greeted her. It wasn't her in the mirror, it couldn't be, this creature belonged on another planet full of ethereal beings such as her.

Pale skin glowing softly in the candlelight, a narrow line of powder under each eye to accent them, then her hair, her wavy black hair she couldn't do anything with, braided and twisted up into a hairdo she only ever dreamed of when she started growing it back out from the usual pixie cuts she wore.

Reaching up, she gently touched the dangling flowers and looked over at Arwen curiously. The woman smiled lightly and lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug she had learned from Heather. _"Ada."_ (Father) Shaking her head with a small smile of her own, Heather's gaze returned to the mirror, silently appreciating most likely the only moment she would ever look so otherworldly then handed it back and stood up.

 _"Lle merna aut?"_ (Shall we go)

* * *

Standing outside the doors to the room the ceremony would be held in, Heather twisted her hands nervously, quietly reciting the words she needed to say over and over again under her breath as she stared in front of her, not really seeing anything.

"Heather."

 _"Amin sila ta' lumenn llie."_ (My star shall shine with yours)

"Heather."

 _"Amin Agar, lle agar."_ (My Blood, your blood)

"Heather, calm." Legolas appeared seemingly out of nowhere, a hand on each of her shoulders as he locked eyes with her, a smile tugging at his lips. "Calm."

"What if _amin_ mess up?" (I) She sighed and felt her shoulders slump slightly under his grip, allowing him to lead her to the wall and have her sit.

"You will do not." He murmured, a hand rubbing her back lightly, trying to calm her down before she had a nervous breakdown. "You will not." She corrected automatically, earning a soft laugh from Legolas. "You will not, Heather."

"You have lines correct. Your movement is fluid." He went on, ignoring the sharp look she sent him before relaxing completely. "You are terrible at this language."

"I learn from you." He grinned, earning an elbow in his side for his cheek. Wincing slightly, he patted her shoulder and stood up. "You will do good."

"You will do fine." Heather sighed and grinned up at him, taking the offered hand so he could pull her to her feet as well. "Thank you."

He grinned and tipped his head towards the doors. "Ready?"

Taking a deep breath, she forced her heart to slow and the rampant thoughts in her mind to stop. With another smile, she felt herself relax once more then nodded at him. "Ready."

Smiling back, he lead her towards the doors and opened them for her, following her inside and shutting them behind him before walking over to join Strider standing off to the side with Gandalf, Arwen and her brothers.**

Stepping forward, Heather walked onto the small, raised platform in the middle of the room, joining Elrond where he stood beside a small table with a pitcher on it. His encouraging smile bolstering her and causing a shy smile to creep on her face. Stopping in front of him, she looked up and searched his eyes before reaching up and touching the hairpin. _"Hannon lle."_

He merely dipped his head in a small nod then turned to the small group of people gathered there. _"A're lye galwinya nosse."_ (Today we celebrate new family) Then turned back to her and nodded slightly, silently urging Heather to say her lines.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and held out her hands the way she remembered Legolas coaching her to and began to recite the words he drilled into her for hours on end.

 _"Amin sila ta' lumenn llie."_ (My star shall shine with yours)

 _"Amin Agar, lle agar."_ (My Blood, your blood)

 _"Amin ta'na quen Iellig."_ (I shall be called Daughter)

 _"Lle ta'na quen Ada."_ (You shall be called Father)

 _"Ilya ta'sint sina."_ (All shall know this)

Looking up at Elrond, she spotted a glimmer of happiness in his eyes as he reached out and placed his hands on top of hers. A quick glance towards where Legolas stood put her off a bit and made a slight, confused frown pull at her lips as she looked up at him curiously.

"My stair shall shine woth yours."

Her mouth dropped open, he was speaking English! Albeit a little choppy, but understandable and unquestionable English! Shooting Legolas a look from the corner of her eye, she spotted his pleased expression and quickly put two and two together. He had been there when she first learned the phrases, he heard her saying it in English to try and remember the words better. Somehow, he memorized them and taught Elrond...

"My bloud, your bloud."

A smile spread across her face as she looked up at his expression of concentration, it was obvious he still didn't know exactly what he was saying, but the simple idea that he took the time out of his day to even try to learn the words spoke volumes to her.

"I shall bea called Fath-er."

"You shall bea called Dau-ght-er."

"All will knew this." His brilliant smile blew away any mistakes he made, earning a wide grin from Heather in return as he turned to the pitcher beside them and lifted it up, pouring the water into a basin underneath. Taking her right hand that he still held, he dipped both of them into the cool liquid.

 _"Alu kollyedil."_ (Water to carry our devotion) Reaching over, he dried their hands after taking them out, then poured dirt from a small dish set aside over-top them next.

 _"Kemen himblyedur."_ (Earth to adhere our faith) Smiling up at her, he leaned over and blew the dirt away with a deep breath.

 _"Vilya poiklye hoonea."_ (Air to clean our hearts) With a quick glance up at her face again, he pulled her hand over to the small candle and passed their hands quickly through the flames.

 _"Naur Meivlye n'atayadurea."_ (Fire to balance our different beliefs) Then he turned to face the others once more, leading her off of the small platform and towards the small group of people moving forward. _"Creoso, amin lellig."_ (Welcome, my daughter.)

Casting a wide smile up at him, Heather leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek shyly and whispered in his ear. _"Hannon lle, Ada."_ Earning a few chuckles from the surrounding people before backing up from Elrond and turning to accept congratulations from each of them.

* * *

 **(*You have NO idea how long it took me to find the right words for that. I wanted to write 'They're drawn on your back.' But couldn't find the right words, I had to re-word that single sentence at least five times before I finally found a decent one to fit into the language.)**

 **(**I don't know all that much about those two, so they won't be mentioned all that much in the story, sorry those of you that love them!)**

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	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Here we are! Another chapter, and pretty quickly I might add. The Elvish translations didn't take so long this time, some of them I've already begun to memorize, I'll probably be a native speaker by the time I finish this fanfiction.**

 **To my Reviewer Tanner Clark: Thanks for explaining the twins a little more to me, I'll try to put them in here a little more than I planned, but I won't promise anything. I don't feel comfortable writing characters I know next to nothing about. But I will try.**

 ** _Hannon Lle_ for your review by the way!**

 **Anyway... I will say this much, I know I don't have all that many followers, but I know have enough to get at least three reviews a chapter! Come on people, I LOVE reading them! Please tell me what you think, gives me reason to keep going on this. If I don't think you really liked a chapter, I'll rethink the whole story and no one wants that.**

 **So please, review!**

 **ONWARD!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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"Legolas." The elf looked behind where Heather sat on her horse beside Strider with an uncomfortable expression on her face. "How long?"

He raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Strider, amused at the way she shifted on the back of the horse as if trying to find a better way to sit and turned back around to face forward. "Several days longer. We have only gone half a day." Heather sighed and let her shoulders slump slightly.

It had been three weeks since her adoption and apparently some king named Thranduil that wanted to speak with her about something. Elrond didn't really want her to go at all, something about not having any way to protect herself.

A full day of speaking with both Strider and Legolas apparently reassured him enough to let her go, but damn! Riding on horses wasn't something she enjoyed in her old life, why the hell would she like it now? Granted travelling in the trees was definately a plus, but still... Her ass was numb and it hadn't even been a full day since they set out.

* * *

 **(Rewind)**

Heather was standing in the middle of her favorite garden, head tipped back and let the drizzling rain sprinkle down on her face. Elrond, Legolas and Strider were all talking about something they wouldn't really explain to her when she asked. Gandalf had left just a couple days ago, saying something about needing to visit a wizard friend of his. So essentially she was alone at the moment.

Her new brothers were entertaining without a doubt though. They acted like children and it never failed to make her grin whenever they spoke to her. At the moment she had no idea where they were, and Arwen was helping a few of the other women with something equally secretive.

A soft sigh slipped from her as she looked down and glanced around the area with a frown. To put it short: she was bored. Kicking at a stray stone to the side, she started walking aimlessly along the path, not really focusing on where she was headed.

"Heather." Elrond's quiet voice drew her attention off to the side where the path lead back into the building where he stood. The solemn look on his face made her pause for just the slightest of moments before she made her way over to where he was. _"Mani?"_ (What)

With a small smile, he offered his arm to her and lead the way back inside. _"Tel'haran Thranduil irmaea a'quen yassen lle."_ (The King Thranduil wishes to speak with you) Heather frowned in thought, slowly translating what Elrond said then looked up at him in question. _"Mankoi amin?"_ (Why me)

Elrond frowned and looked away from her, obviously uncomfortable with what he was about to tell her and stopped walking. _"Iire lle raktsinome. Strider quenea lle talant neva i'tal."_ (When you arrived here, Strider said you had fallen near the city) Heather nodded slowly, tipping her head to the side so she could catch his gaze and raised an eyebrow. _"No."_ (yes)

 _"Ro irmea a' sintsut."_ (He wishes to know how) He finally looked up and studied her face before continuing. _"Legolas ar' Strider lamlle."_ (Legolas and Strider will take you.) She frowned slightly, still confused about the whole situation. _"Mankoi?"_ (why)

 _"Ro deln'atea aa' umi' atya'."_ (He worries others may do the same.) Alright, there were quite a few words she didn't know. _Deln'atea_ one of them. Alright... The only word she didn't understand, but it was one of those words that the whole sentence surrounded. With a small sigh, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. _"Deln'atea?"_

Elrond frowned as well and lifted his head, looking around for something before motioning her to follow him and lead the way towards the room he and the other two had been in all day.

Cracking the door open, he waved at her to wait and stepped inside, leaving her in the hallway for a few moments before returning with Legolas in tow. Waving again, he pointed at Legolas beside him, leaving her confused once more.

 _"Deln'atea."_ He prompted, turning to Legolas and waved at Heather, speaking quick enough so she couldn't catch what he said. Legolas on the other hand had a look of understanding dawn on his face as he turned to look at her. "To think with fear?" He tried, only earning a shrug in response.

Frowning, he thought once more before trying again. "Worry?"

"Oh! He's worried about it." Heather murmured, pulling her eyebrows together in thought herself. _"Mankoi?"_ (Why)

Glancing over at Elrond, Legolas motioned him to go into the room and join Strider while he tried to explain the situation to Heather properly.

"He think others may do the same." He tipped his head to the side, watching as she thought over what he said.

"I don't even know how I did it, how the hell will someone else do it?" She finally asked, looking up at him only to receive a shocked look. "What?"

"You... Do not knew how?"

"Know, and no, I don't."

Pacing the hallway in front of her, Legolas mumbled a few things under his breath before disappearing into the room without a single glance towards her.

"Well... I'll just wait out here, won't I?" She sighed and folded her arms, leaning back against the wall with a scowl darkening her features.

 _"Matoror' lye seler' maea rutha."_ (Look, brother, our sister looks angry)

Heather glanced towards the voice and grimaced at the twin expressions of amusement pointed in her direction. _"Mani umlle atta antyssen amin?"_ (What do you two want with me) One of them -Elladan she believed- faked a pout and waltzed over to where she leaned against the wall and settled against it beside her. _"Lle rutha yssen lye?"_ (You are angry with us) The other one leaned against the wall on her other side, an identical pout on his face as he looked down at her.

 _"N'uma."_ (no) Heather sighed and shook her head, unable to keep a straight face with their expressions. A small smile pulled at her lips as she looked back up at them in exasperation. _"Mankoi lle sinome?"_ (Why are you here)

 _"Ada yellye."_ (Father called us) The one on her right shrugged lightly then turned to face the door with a curious frown. Heather sighed and leaned her head back against the cool stone behind her. _"Amin elesii'."_ (I see now) They both looked at her at the same time then shared a confused look over her head when she didn't look up at them.

 _"Lle istimeithel."_ (you are learning well) The brother on her left spoke up, making Heather glance towards him and smile shyly. "Legolas." She explained with a slight shrug, missing the raised eyebrows passing over her head.

"Hm." They hummed together then turned to face the door in silence this time, leaving her to her thoughts as they waited together. It wasn't moments later that Strider opened the door and motioned them all inside.

Following the twins in, she raised an eyebrow at the looks she got while settling down in one of the chairs. _"Mani?"_ (What) Man she was getting tired of saying that word, it seemed that's all she said today. When no one answered, she sighed and laid her head on the table, lack of sleep over the past two days catching up to her.

"Heather." Legolas's voice made her head lift up curiously despite her exhaustion. "Hm?"

"You have no..." He paused, searching for the right word. "Memory of how you appeared?" Heather sighed softly and shook her head. _"N'uma."_ (no) Strider and Elrond frowned and leaned forward in their chairs. Legolas glanced towards them then back to Heather. "You can... Explain what you knew?"

"Know. Yes, I remember what happened." She nodded her head slightly, making the other two share a quick look, her brothers simply sharing lost expressions as they didn't know what was going on or understand her language.

 _"Nyarlye."_ (tell us) Elrond said softly, making her straighten up in her seat with a small sigh, a hand reaching up to run through her hair while deep in thought.

"I was travelling across the country." She finally said, glancing towards Legolas as he translated softly to the others. "It was starting to rain lightly."

Ignoring his soft voice, she let her memories carry her away as she spoke, seeing the wide moor in front of her instead of the people gathered around. "I wanted to get to the inn about a mile or so away."

"I stopped to pull my hood up, just a couple of seconds and I'm glad the string was broken, or I would have been killed by the lightning that struck the ground just a foot or so in front of me." Looking up, she glanced around the table while Legolas finished translating before finishing her short story.

"I was thrown back by the blast, hit my head against the camp stove I had strapped to my pack and landed against a tree. Next thing I know, Strider is walking towards me and I black out." Lifting her shoulders in a small shrug, she cut her glance over to Elrond. "I woke up here."

Legolas finished translating for her, a few of the words he didn't know and couldn't find the right words for them. _'Camp stove'_ being the main one.

Silence descended in the room, making her shift uncomfortably in her chair while they all stared at her. "You asked me for my story." She finally said, nervous under their gazes.

Finally, Elrond stood and cleared his throat, gaining their attentions. _"Amin durlye mellon Gandalf lemba' arinya."_ (I believe our friend Gandalf left too early) He chuckled wryly, making several grins appear around the table before he looked across it at Heather. _"Lle autyassen Legolas ar' Strider a' Mirkwood."_ (You will go with Legolas and strider to Mirkwood) He finally said, a very slight frown pulling at his lips as he spoke this. Grey eyes met blue over the table as Heather slowly got to her feet and dipped her head in a shallow nod before leaving the room.

 _"Lle durro durhe?"_ (You believe he will believe her) Aragorn asked as Elrond moved to follow Heather, making him pause in the doorway and look back at him with a grim expression. _"Amin ilsinta. Amin anta' durhe beth faarea."_ (I do not know. I need to believe her words are enough) With that, he left the room, leaving the others behind to look around.

* * *

 **(Fast Forward)**

Huffing out another annoyed breath, Heather shifted in her seat again in frustration. It was mostly her fault she was on the horse to begin with, when they asked if she could ride, she didn't even think twice about it when she answered with yes. Next thing she knew, they were leading a dappled mare towards her and strapping her pack stuffed with various things she wanted to bring with onto it's back.

It wasn't really a lie to say she knew how to ride, she just didn't ride often enough to be comfortable on one for a long period of time. And here she was having to ride a horse for several days.

Good thing Strider needed sleep, or she suspected Legolas would just ride through the night judging by the pace he was setting. Grumbling under her breath, she shifted once more then resigned herself to a long, sore ride to Mirkwood.

"Heather." Strider rode up beside her and glanced over, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he studied her sullen expression. _"Lle aa' hamyassen Legolas ri amin."_ (You may ride with Legolas or myself) He offered softly, earning a weak grin in return as she shook her head. _"n'uma. Amin hantlle tolknan' Amin tereva."_ (No. I appreciate your offer but I am fine.) Turning away from him, she returned to studying the trees around them curiously once more.

Sending a glance towards Legolas who was looking back at them, he lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug and moved back to where he was before, content to let her alone on the matter for now. Tomorrow, he would offer again before they broke camp, to at least offer some bit of comfort he could.

"Strider." Heather twisted around to look back at him, a frown pulling at her lips at whatever thought had run through her mind at the moment. _"Manke lle utuamin?"_ (Where did you find me) Hearing this, Legolas turned his horse around and joined them, a curious gleam in his eyes as well while Aragorn thought over the question. _"N'uma ner san' aith a' i'har."_ (no more than a mile to the south) He finally answered, looking around the area to confirm his thoughts and nodded.

 _"Aa' lye auteller?"_ (May we go there) She asked, eyebrows drawn together in deep thought, blue eyes sparking with questions and ideas while the other two looked at each other. _"Mankoi?"_ (Why) Legolas spoke up, breaking Heather from her thoughts and earning a quick glance for his question. _"Amin caelnoa."_ (I have an idea) With that, she turned to Strider expectantly, blue eyes sharper than he had ever seen them since they first opened.

With a small sigh, he nodded slightly and turned his horse to the south, leading their little group towards the place he had found her fallen to the ground.

* * *

With a relieved sigh, Heather slipped from her horse and bent her knees slightly, working the sore muscles in her legs for a moment before walking over to where Strider stood and joined him. Looking down, she studied the grass, or lack there of, where she had fallen down.

Stretching her hand out, she touched the dirt in front of her thoughtfully, mind running through the various ideas it had for why the grass and moss refused to regrow here and huffed in frustration. Too many, she didn't have enough information to even get a vague idea of what happened. Straightening up, she glanced around for a moment before spotting a perfect hand print in the moss of a nearby tree trunk. _'Everything I touched? Really?'_ Moving towards it, she brushed the bark with her fingertips, a slight tingling meeting her skin once they made contact with the wood.

Without looking at the other two, she continued on, following the trees with missing moss until she came to what she suspected- no knew- where it had happened. What it was, she didn't know yet, but whatever it was... Started here. Stopping with wide eyes, she studied the petrified trees in front of her, from first glance, it looked to be a perfect circle of them. Maybe three or four meters in diameter.

Footsteps coming to a stop beside her shook Heather from her shock and moved her into the circle, fingers brushing trees as she walked into the center of the area. There it was again, that odd tingling across her skin, like a gentle electric current ran in the air. Crouching down, she touched the indent in the very center of the area, fingers digging into the soft soil until she came into contact with something hard and smooth.

Not even bothering to think twice about what she was doing, she dropped her knees down and began digging in earnest, so focused on figuring out what it was, she missed the alarmed glances from her companions as she shoveled more dirt out of the way.

"Heather-" Legolas tried to get her attention only to be ignored as she dug deeper. A look of deep concentration etched on her features as she tried to pull the object out of the earth. "It's stuck." She finally grunted over her shoulder at him. "Help me pull this out."

Turning to Aragorn, he translated quickly then moved to join her beside the small hole she had dug, hands reaching out to grip whatever the object was with Aragorn and tugging on it with her. Several yanks and curses from Heather later, they managed to finally pull it out. Falling back on her butt, she let out a groan and swiped a hand across her forehead before getting back up and studying the thing with a critical eye.

It looked like a rock, but something about it sent alarm bells off in her head as she leaned closer. Ignoring the warning glances she received from the two with her, she reached out and brushed the dirt away from the thing only to realize it wasn't stone, but metal cleverly molded to look like one, whoever made it even added dents and ridges to it. Pulling a cloth from her pocket, she wiped it off better, catching sight of something etched into it's surface and frowned.

"What the hell is this thing?" Looking up at Legolas, she tapped a nail against the runes carefully carved into the metal surface. He frowned and leaned over to look at it closer. "I know not." He finally answered, slight frustration leaking into his voice. "Why?"

"Because this thing was buried under the exact point where I apparently appeared out of nowhere." She turned back to study the item with mounting frustration herself, something in her wanted to kick it with all her might, but judging by how it took the three of them to pull it up out of the dirt and haul it out of the hole... She'd most likely break a toe doing it.

"Gandalf." Strider spoke up, making them look over at him with questioning expressions. He dropped his eyes to the strange thing himself and nodded to it. _"Ro aa' sintmani ta'to."_ (He may know what it is) Heather exchanged a quick glance with Legolas then shrugged her shoulders lightly. _"Sut lye valkro?"_ (How will we show him) She waved a hand at the thing in exasperation. _"Ta mootluma'."_ (It weighs a ton)

Strider thought for a moment, stairing at the object then glanced up at them. _"Manka lle feithsinome. Amin santa a' Elrond."_ (If you wait here. I will take it to Elrond*) Looking over at Legolas, Heather shrugged slightly then nodded before moving to help him lift it up and carry it to his horse. _"Amin antulrato."_ (I will return soon) With that, he kicked the horse, making Heather wince in sympathy, and disappeared into the trees, leaving the two of them alone.

Turning to Legolas, she sighed slightly and shrugged. "So, want to play twenty questions?"

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 **(*yea the words 'take it' make the word 'Santa' in Elvish. Thought it was worth a mention and a giggle.)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Well, again I must apologize for how long it took me to update: I tend to drift in and out of the urge to write I really am sorry for the long wait though. I know the feeling about waiting for an update on a story you're dying to read. I will try to update more often though, if I take more than week, feel free to pm and yell at me for not updating. Sometimes I just need a nudge to get to it is all.**

 **I don't have much to say here other than I really hope I get at least 3 or so reviews for this chapter. Something constructive even, if I got something wrong, tell me! If I said something out of character, tell me! Seriously, if this story is going to stay up to par, I need help from an outside view.**

 **As for those of you that reviewed last chapter: Thank you! I'm not exactly sure if I replied or not considering how long it's been, so sorry if I didn't.**

 **Anyway, I think that's it for now.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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By the time Heather had finished explaining exactly what 'Twenty Questions' was, Strider returned with a grim expression on his face. No matter what question she threw at him about the weird metal stone, he refused to answer and urged for them to return to their journey with one detail missing: Him.

Because apparently, whatever it was she found demanded that Gandalf return immedately to look it over and explain it's purpous if he could. Meaning Strider would have to leave them and go search for him instead, leaving the two of them to travel to Mirkwood, alone.

This happened two days ago, meaning she and Legolas were reaching the edge of the woods surrounding Erendell just as the sun was beginning it's decent on the horizon. She was glad to say he did indeed stop for the night after she had asked him about it. Apparently he didn't sleep much and didn't think about it until she had said something. He was quick to agree to let her sleep a couple of hours after eating something then they would set out again after she woke up fully.

Unfortunately she had been rather comfortable when Legolas had stopped the night before, so he had the, er, _joy,_ to wake her up a few hours later and had a red hand-print across his cheek for a hour or so afterwords.

Needless to say, he resorted to simply calling her name until she woke up after that. After Heather managed to wake up properly, she had apologized profusely until he had cracked a smile and waved a hand at her, obviously stating it was fine. She still felt bad for it though.

Slipping from the horse's back, she gently rubbed the animal's neck as it nickered at her softly, it's nose bumping against her forehead in a playful fashion when she moved around in front. Grinning softly, Heather played with it's ears, making the horse blow a breath over her face and making a laugh slip from her. _"Autar' estmellon."_ (Go and rest, friend) Nickering again, the horse nudged her shoulder lightly before turning and trotting over to where Legolas's horse stood nibbling at the grass around one of the trees surrounding them.

Moving over to join him by the fire he built, she settled down on the ground with a small sigh of relief, earning an amused look from him. "I may know how to ride, _Mellon._ But _ta tangaa_ on my _n'alaquel."_ (Friend - it's rough - back) She grumbled earning an amused chuckle from him as he reached into his pack and passed her a small bit of bread for her to nibble. It became apparent rather quickly she didn't have the same appetite she had before arriving here. Before she could polish off a whole frozen pizza to herself and (Thanking her _AMAZING_ metabolism) would be hungry a couple hours later.

Now, she barely managed to get herself to finish a plate of greens around dinnertime, and she was a lot more active than she had been before, climbing trees and running around just doing whatever entertained her.

Unwrapping the leaves from around her share of bread, she nibbled on it thoughtfully, eyes trained on the flickering fire in front of her. She was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she was absolutely nowhere near Ireland anymore. After nearly a month in Erendell, she couldn't very well ignore the fact that something was off about the place.

The big thing? The air was clean, not just the clean of country air, it was _clean_ clean. As in no hint of pollution at all. Her tongue didn't have even the slightest tinge of the usual metallic, coppery taste that followed when she breathed in through her mouth.

Then there were the people, all obviously different and not to mention not a single bit of electricity in the entire city. Not one light, not one power cord... Nothing.

And the weapons! Bows and arrows, daggers, swords everything but anything resembling a gun. She felt like she had been tossed back to the middle ages, but she was painfully sure that none of the languages spoken during that time even resembled the one she had to learn. And one thing she knew was languages. This one was absolutely wrong, for any place on Earth.

Pausing in her mental process, she glanced over at Legolas beside her, the orange of the flames dancing across his delicate features as she studied him out of the corner of her eye. Not to mention she was sure the history books ever said anything about a whole city hidden in a valley surrounded by trees filled with people that had pointed ears.

A small sigh slipped from her lips as she re-wrapped her bread and settled it in her own pack before cushioning her head on it and letting her body relax unwillingly against the rocky ground. The closer they got to the edge of the forest, the more rocks poked her in the back when she laid down.

"Heather." Cracking open an eye, she looked over at Legolas and tipped her head to the side slightly, signalling him to speak as she shifted position to try and find a comfortable place to lay.

"You need know... My _Ada_ is..." (father) He frowned, stopping to collect his thoughts. "Difficult." He shifted to look over at her, eyebrows drawn together in thought as he studied her. Heather sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs, chin sitting on her knees as she watched him curiously. "What do you mean difficult?"

He sighed softly and turned to face her fully and sat with a slight frown still marring his features. "He... Believes his way is correct, despite the different ways others are." He explained slowly, unsure exactly how to explain his father. He couldn't say he hated him, in fact, he looked up to his father. However the way he treated anyone outside of the realm of Mirkwood left much to be desired. He was a fair king, to his own people.

"Oh... So in other words, I shouldn't act the way I normally do." She grinned wryly at him, a small sparkle of mischief in her eyes when he looked over at her. "Proper, like Arwen." She added for clarification when she spied the slight tilt to his head.

 _"No."_ (Yes) He nodded his head with another sigh slipping past his lips. Rolling her eyes, Heather reached over and rested her hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention once again. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to being someone I'm not to avoid fights and arguments. I can't say I like to do it, but I will if it makes things easier." She murmured, seeing the small, grateful smile hovering around his mouth.

"Thank you." Legolas murmured, reaching up to grip her hand still sitting on his shoulder gently before standing to move back to his pack. "Sleep for now. I will wake you in a few hours." Nodding her head, Heather curled back up on the ground, head pillowed on her own pack as she closed her eyes, trying to relax despite what she and Legolas spoke about.

* * *

 **From here on out I will be using English in place of Elvish considering Heather now has a firm grasp of the language. Anything said in English will be bold so you can tell the difference.**

 **Lemme know if you have questions!**

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Heather tipped her head back and studied the stars shining above them as they rode across the grasslands stretching between the forests of her home and his. The little pinpoints of light were brighter than she ever remembered them being back home. Scanning her eyes across the sky above, she frowned slightly in confusion. Currently she was attempting to pick out Orion, her favorite constellation, but she couldn't even find Libra up there. Just a scattering of stars that made no familiar shapes at all.

Looking back down, she held back a small shiver that tried to work it's way through her body and gripped the reigns of her horse tighter, teeth worrying her lower lip while she thought. Alright, it was obvious nothing was what she thought. But seeing unfamiliar stars she should have recognized instantly was a bit of a slap to the face now she was forced to admit to herself, she was nowhere close to home.

Shooting another glance back up, she scanned the twinkling sky once more and bit back a small whimper. She couldn't even find Sirius. The big, bright blue star that should have been shining in the sky in the North due to the current spring weather. But she couldn't find the familiar blue twinkling at all in the sky.

Shifting nervously in the saddle of her horse, she glanced around quickly and chewed her lip harder, ignoring the slight taste of blood in her mouth. _'I'm nowhere close to home... I don't recognize the stars at all...'_

A skitter of worry passed over Legolas's senses, making him look back at Heather behind him. Seeing the slightly panicked look on her face, he slowed his own horse so he rode beside her. "Heather?" He tried to get her attention only to be ignored as she continued chewing on her lip. Seeing something dark drip down her chin and onto the front of her tunic made him pull his horse around to stop in front of hers, making it stop as well. "Heather."

Her breathing sped up this time, eyes darting to look up at the sky then returned to shooting around the area once more, panic exploding through her as everything finally came together. _'I'm not home. I'm nowhere close to home...'_ For the first time, she felt frightened of her situation. Here she was, traveling across country with a strange man in a world that was blatantly obviously not her own. She wasn't scared of him at all, but the fact she couldn't go home if she wanted to scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Granted she never planned on going back now she had a home with Elrond, but the thought that she could if she wanted to always hovered in the back of her mind, a calming agent against all the strange things surrounding her. But having that thought shattered... The panic it held back swamped her like a dam breaking. Trembling, she finally looked over at Legolas, blue eyes locking onto his.

"I don't know where I am anymore."

Blinking in surprise, he leaned forward to ask her what she meant only to see her eyes roll up into the back of her head and her body slump to the side, slipping from the horse's back. His own eyes wide, Legolas lept from his own mount and caught Heather before she hit the ground. Gently settling her down, he pressed a hand to her forehead gently, testing her temperature then pulled back with a frown.

Something frightened her, looking up at the stars, he remembered her staring up at them before her panic became to much for her. The stars frightened her? Looking back down at her, he brushed the hair from her face and silently waited for her to wake up.

He didn't have to wait long before her eye's fluttered and a soft groan of discomfort issued from Heather as she slowly sat up, a hand going to her head as it throbbed slightly with a headache. For a few seconds she couldn't remember exactly what happened that made it so she ended up on the ground before it all came rushing back once again. Breath caught in her chest as she shot a stare up at the sky, eyes roaming the stars once more for something familiar only to come up empty.

"Heather." Legolas's soft voice drew her panicked gaze over to where he crouched beside her, worry shining in his eyes as he studied her expression. "Legolas." She managed to croak out from a tight throat, eyes drifting back upwards helplessly. "The stars are wrong." The man frowned slightly and looked up himself. "They aren't where they should be." Heather continued, her voice shuddering slightly as she shivered.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she drug her gaze back over to him. "Where am I?" He stayed silent, observing her as she held herself tighter, fingers digging into the cloth on her shoulders.

Reaching out hesitantly, he rested a hand on her head, fingers gently rubbing at her scalp in what he hoped to be a relaxing motion. "Arda." He said softly, still watching her expression as she sorted through the information she had. "What is Arda?" She finally asked, looking up at him, her gaze clearing from the fear that had been clouding it just moments ago.

"Middle-Earth." Leaning forward, he rested his other hand on her forehead only to have it brushed away impatiently. "Humor me, have you ever heard of Ireland?" Heather's gaze locked onto his face, watching every little twitch closely while waiting for him to reply.

Frowning slightly, he pulled away and settled on the ground in front of her. "No, I have not heard of this... Ireland."

"How about France? Italy? Germany? China?" She pressed, refusing to look away when he shifted uncomfortably with the sudden onslaught of questions. "No. I have not." He finally admitted, eyes shifting away for a moment then back to her once more. "Are these... Places of your home?"

"From where I come from, yes." She murmured, gaze drifting away from his face finally, turning to gaze across the dark grassland thoughtfully. "Legolas. I don't think I'm anywhere close to my home." She finally admitted, gaze flicking back up to the stars before returning to his face.

"The stars?" He finally connected her earlier panic to her questions, realization dawning on his face.

Nodding her head, she gestured up at the little points of light above them with an idle hand. "I don't recognize any of them. None of the stars I remember are even up there at all, not just shifted in position. They don't seem to exist." She sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair. "I think I might know why I never understood anyone when I arrived here."

"You do not belong here." He answered, earning an exhausted shrug from her. "I don't know why or how, but apparently... This isn't my world, Legolas." Heather frowned and ran a hand through her hair again, obviously lost in thought. "Do you think Gandalf knows this?" She suddenly asked, making Legolas blink and frown in thought himself. "I do not know. It could be he suspected as much, however it must not have been strong enough as he never said so."

"Alright..." She nodded and got back to her feet, hands brushing dirt and grass from her clothes as she turned to look at her horse waiting not far away, munching on grass idly while she had been going through a mental breakdown.

"Heather." Turning to look back at Legolas, she flashed a smile at his worried expression. "Don't worry about me. I adapt quickly, always have." She reassured him then turned to gather her horse's reigns and turned to face him once more. "Can we walk for a bit? I don't think I can take much more of this riding right now." She grimaced and rubbed at her butt, the skin tingling as the blood began flowing through the numb extremity.

Chuckling under his breath, Legolas nodded and whistled softly to his own horse, making Heather gape in jealousy as it's head perked up and trotted over to him with a soft whinny, it's nose nuzzling against his chest in apparent happiness when it reached him. "That is so not fair." She muttered, earning another chuckle as they started walking once more.

Keeping her gaze from drifting upwards least the sight of an unfamiliar night sky send her into another panic attack, Heather picked up the pace until she walked beside Legolas, her own horse nudging her shoulder gently until she gave in and stroked it's nose softly, whispering nonsensical words under her breath to it.

"She likes you." He broke through her one-sided conversation, making her glance over at him then back up to her horse with a small smile. "You think so?" He nodded and reached around to run a hand along his own horse's neck lightly. "It is obvious how she refuses to leave your side." He added, smiling himself at the small blush darkening her cheeks. "What is her name?" She asked curiously, looking back at the horse and smiling at the gentle look in the animal's eyes.

"Cuiv'vanim." He chuckled at Heather's incredulous look. "Attacking Beauty? That's a bit harsh." She muttered, turning her attention back to the sweet horse trotting beside her. "Indeed, her old owner happened to be a soldier before he fell in battle. The horse survived and placed in the stable for gentle use." He murmured, feeling the stab of sadness that shot through Heather at his explanation. Out of all the Elleth and Ellon he came across, her emotions were easiest to feel, Elrond had said as such before a few days prior when Legolas himself mentioned it. She saw no reason to hide her feelings and despite the whirlwind that could happen from time to time due to something, it was refreshing.

"If she enjoys your company, I am certain Elrond would allow you to take her for your own." He added, enjoying the excited look sparkling in her eyes when she looked up at him. "Really?"

He patted her head lightly like one would a child and chuckled at the glower she shot at him for doing so. "Yes, I believe he will." She swatted his hand away and turned back to the horse beside her with a thoughtful expression. "Could I rename her? I mean, would she accept it?"

Blinking, he turned to look at the horse himself, studying how it kept Heather within it's gaze at all times and nodded with a small smile. "I believe she will." Almost repeating the same phrase from just a moment ago. A crooked grin spread across Heather's face as she once more pet the horse's nose softly. "I will have to think of something perfect for you then, won't I?" She murmured to the horse, listening to it nicker softly and grinned wider when she nudged her with her nose again.

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	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Here we are again! A little bit of Heather/Legolas action in this one, not a lot. Just a tiny bit for those of you waiting for that sort of thing!**

 **I have the sneaking suspicion I've missed something and I can't figure it out either, so if someone points out something I might have passed up or not mention, let me know because it's driving me nuts trying to figure it out on my own.**

 **I decided to see exactly the type of terrain Heather and Legolas would have to go over during their journey to Mirkwood and am rather ashamed to admit I completely forgot the fact that they needed to go through the mountains in order to do so.**

 **I feel like such an idiot for not knowing this sooner but I do feel a bit appeased to know that when I had Legolas and Strider travel from Mirkwood to Rivendell they are awesome travelers and the mountains wouldn't be much of an issue, as well as any orc they might have crossed, so the time frame seemed... Appropriate I suppose.**

 **But now there is Heather, unaccustomed to mountains, much less on horseback, as well as fighting. As to explain Legolas's lack of thought in this area? Maybe he can be a bit cocky when it comes to thinking of his own ability. Anyway, considering now I know this obstacle, I will inform you now, their travel is extended to a week and a half, two weeks at best.**

 **Anyway now that's out of the way, to the story!**

 **(Little side note, this chapter finally broke the 3k words I've been posting in the past! A round of applause please...)**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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 **"You have _got_ to be kidding me."** Heather growled in English, eyes wide as she stared up at the mountain range towering over the two of them. Seeing Legolas's curious look, she sent a scowl in his direction. "Did it ever occur to you that I _might_ not know that there is a giant wall of earth between us and your home?" She growled in Elvish, making him look away sheepishly, ears turning pink at the tips now that he thought about it.

"I failed to think of this, yes." He admitted softly, shooting Heather a quick look before staring back up at the mountains. Hearing her grumble something under her breath, he peered over his shoulder back at Heather to catch sight of a faint green tint on her face as she stared up at the giant, rocky wall in front of them. "Are you... Worried?" He finally asked curiously, earning a rather poisonous glare in return. "No. Just not exactly fond of sheer rock walls! Don't you know there's venomous insects and animals in there?" Her blue eyes shot back over to stare at the mountains with a type of horrified stare.

Biting back a laugh, Legolas hid his amusement with a soft cough. "There are more dangerous creatures in those mountains, _Mellon."_ He murmured, earning a wide-eyed stare. "What?"

"Orc are seen in these mountains more often than not." He explained easily, bringing his horse around so he could face her properly, expression stern. "So it would do you no good to wander away from my sight or ear." He added, watching the faint green tinge to her face fade away into the grey scale of skin tone with some interest. "Orc?" She whispered, a tingle of fear washing through her at the mere thought of the disgusting creatures her new brothers had taken upon themselves to warn her about.

"Yes. And they would have no qualms to take you either, despite your sharp tongue." Legolas muttered the last part under his breath, vividly remembering some rather interesting insults she had come up with for a poor creature that had taken it upon itself to try and nest in her hair while she slept. Never in his life had he ever heard such insults that she had spat out that day and even now he couldn't figure out exactly what a _'son of a whoremonger'_ ***** was and had no intention of finding out either.

Briefly, he imagined her being taken captive by a pack of orc, in his head he could hear her screaming various insults to these creatures even as they tied her up. Wincing mentally, he thought it would be prudent to take the safer path through the mountains, far away from any activity that had been noted. He didn't doubt for even a moment she would do such a thing, and the orc wouldn't even think twice about dismembering and/or slicing out her tongue after they had taken her either.

Turning back around to continue forward, he called over his shoulder to Heather. "We will take the longer path, it may extend our travels, however there are very little orc seen there." Heather heaved a soft sigh and nudged her horse to follow after Legolas, silently dreading the journey ahead more so than ever.

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 **(*Interesting tidbit, I have _no_ idea where or when I came up with this insult, but I use it quite often. Mostly used when I stub my toe though. Anyway, to break it down for you- It's partly taken from the 'Fishmonger' statement in the olden days, where anyone who sold fish was called this. As I replaced Fish with whore, I'm sure you understand what this means. A pimp for those of you that haven't figured it out. So, in total, Heather is calling the poor creature (I couldn't decide between a squirrel or a mouse so I left it at 'creature') a son of a pimp.)**

 **(For reference, I've posted a few images on my facebook page, TL S0nya's Page. I happened to find a descriptive map of the Mirkwood area for this portion of the story. If you want to take a peek, feel free to go and look yourselves. The other map will be used for a majority of the story afterwards. I do have an interactive gif showing the path of the Fellowship I will be using, unfortunately Facebook doesn't allow you to post actual gif pictures so I cannot show you that one.)**

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Stooping down, Legolas gathered a handful of water from the river and splashed his face with it, keeping an eye out on the horses while Heather did the same beside him. Straightening up, he cast a quick look around the area then down at the Elleth next to the river filling the water skins, her expression shifting between thoughtful to nervous as her own eyes darted around the area.

Just hours passed since they began moving towards the mountains, and only minutes ago they caught sight of smoke drifting from the mountain, a large fire burning deep inside. It didn't take much to believe there might be scouts nearby as they made their way forward, so, with Legolas's urging, they turned west and towards the river she could see glinting off in the distance.

"We will cross the river in the dark, when they cannot see." He murmured, gaining her attention, eyes scanning the grassland surrounding them before dropping down to her upturned face. "Then we pass through the mountains on a lesser known path."

"Sounds good I suppose." Heather murmured, dropping down to sit beside the running water and capping the skins with a low hum. "How do we know they haven't already spotted us?"

"We don't."

"Oh, well that's real relaxing." She muttered, eyes rolling skyward to watch a few scattered clouds drift by overhead. "How long until dark?"

"Four hours at the most. Rest for now, we won't stop until daylight." He settled down beside her and rested his arms on upturned knees. "From now on, we travel in the dark and rest at noon before moving onward. The Orc will be more active during that time, so it would be best to find a place to rest then."

"I thought you said this path we're taking is basically empty?" She raised an eyebrow up at him before settling down against her pack with a soft yawn. Legolas grinned wryly down at her. "I said it is lesser known, not completely unknown."

"Wonderful, better keep your eyes and ears out for them then." She mumbled, already half asleep. Humming lightly under his breath, Legolas nodded despite the fact she couldn't see it and stared up at the mountain once more.

Hours later found Legolas waking Heather as the sun was beginning to go down, urging her to eat before they packed up and began to head out once again, crossing the river at a shallow point then turning towards the mountains again. Heather hummed under her breath, head tipped back to watch the peak above them as they moved under the shadow it cast and forced back a shudder.

"Heather?" Looking over, she caught sight of Legolas's curious stare and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "It just... Feels like it's watching me." She finally muttered, eyes shifting back to look up at the mountain towering over them with a grimace. With a sympathetic hum, he nodded, looking up himself. "The Misty Mountains tend to give anyone traveling close that uneasy feeling."

"That's what they're called, The Misty Mountains?" She murmured, pulling her horse up beside him so they could ride side-by-side while they spoke in quiet murmurs. "Yes, for as long as I have lived they have been named so." Heather looked over at him, studying his face in the faint light from the stars and frowned sightly. "How old are you?"

Hearing her question, Legolas let a quick grin flit across his face. "Many more years than you, I would imagine." She snorted and turned back to face the mountain as they began the slow and steady climb up through the rocks. "You don't look any older than I am, less so, even." He laughed softly at that and shook his head. "If you wish to think so."

With a click of his tongue, he urged his steed to speed up slightly, pulling ahead of Heather and leading the way through the narrow path. "Come, we have two days through the mountain pass and many more through the forest of Mirkwood until we reach my _Ada's_ halls."

With a heavy sigh, Heather clicked at her own horse to follow Legolas and glanced upwards one last time at the stars before they all but disappeared in the towering walls of rock beginning to surround them.

* * *

The sounds of hooves clopping on stone was all Heather could hear as she and Legolas made their way through the narrow path cut through the mountain. The walls on either side of them close enough to brush against their knees on either side as while they moved forward.

"How much farther is it?" She called up ahead to where he rode in front of her, blue eyes glancing backwards before turning to the front again. "A little farther on the path opens up into a narrow canyon. We will rest there." He called back, head tipping up to check the position of the sun then turned to face her. "Not much longer, Heather."

"I hope so, my hind end is numb." She muttered, shifting in the saddle with a grimace, making the Ellon chuckle and turn around once more. "Many new riders complain of much the same."

"I don't doubt it." She grumbled and let out a soft sigh before settling down again and tightened her grip on the reigns once again. It was near noon judging from the position of the light overhead, and she was dead tired of riding her horse, no matter how much she adored it.

A few minutes longer they broke free from the narrow pass and out into a small valley, no more than a half mile long and even less wide. A trickling stream, if she could call it that, passed through off to the left of where they sat on their horses, scrawny trees stubbornly breaking through the rock that made up the ground.

"Well then..." She murmured, dismounting after she saw Legolas do so ahead of her and stretched her legs out with a soft, happy sigh. "Ah, my blood can flow again."

"We will rest here until after the sun has begun it's decent in the sky." Legolas's voice came from behind Heather, making her jump slightly and turn around to look at him with wide eyes. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

A low chuckle was her answer as he turned to walk back to where his horse stood waiting for him. Reaching up, he began removing it's bags and tack, making Heather's eyebrow rise in question. Glancing over at her, he nodded in the direction of the path leading out of the valley. "The path head is too narrow for the horses. They will return to Rivendell on their own from here." Turning back away, he set the tack aside and ran his hand over it's neck gently before leading it back to the way they came and patted it's hind end, sending the animal on it's way.

Heaving a soft sigh, she turned to her own horse and began pulling the tack off of it as well, silently wondering just how they were going to carry the packs that had been on the back of their horses. Once they were set aside, she moved around to where she could face it and gently pet it's nose. "I'll miss you." She whispered, listening to the horse nicker softly and nudge it's nose against her.

A weak smile spread across her lips as she scratched the horse between it's ears as she learned it liked not too long ago. "I haven't even given you a proper name yet, have I?" Humming under her breath, she ignored Legolas as he gathered a few fallen branches from the trees scattered around to build a fire. "I believe _Ehtele'Anoron_ just may be appropriate..." (Spring Dawn) Heather murmured, hand gently petting the horse's nose, a soft laugh slipping from her when it let out a light whinny and nudged her chest with it's nose again. "You like that? _Ehtele_ it is then..." With a last sad smile, she lead the horse towards the path they took to get there and gently slapped it's rear, sending her horse back towards Rivendell.

"It is a beautiful name." Legolas murmured from where he stood beside a small fire, making Heather turn to face him with a small smile on her face. "She will bear it well." With a last backwards glance to the quickly vanishing horse, she moved to sit beside the flames. "I think she will anyway." She admitted softly, eyes drawn to the flickering light in front of her. "Are you sure the Orc won't attack them on their way back?"

"There are slower creatures for them to hunt, they will leave the horses alone." He reassured her, settling down on the ground beside her, his eyes on the fire as well. "I have no doubts they will turn their eyes to something much easier to catch if they ever grow hungry."

"I hope so, I swear if when we get back and I find out my horse was eaten, I'll be blaming _you,_ Legolas." She muttered, making him laugh when she elbowed him in the side. "And I wouldn't stop you either." Turning to grin at her, he relaxed back against the rock behind them and let out a low breath. "We will rest here for a few hours, then move on."

"What about the packs the horses rode?" Heather tossed a twig on the fire, eyes shifting around the narrow canyon then turned back to the elf beside her in question. "We will leave them hidden here, then when we travel back we will take them with us." He answered easily, his form completely relaxed despite the fact he kept one hand on his bow beside him at all times.

"Makes sense..." Nodding her head, Heather leaned back against the rock herself and let out a small, thoughtful hum. "What if someone finds them?"

"Then we will have to make due with two less packs on our return." He stated, making her huff lightly and shake her head. "I mean if an Orc found them and decided to follow us."

"We kill it and keep moving."

Heather frowned at his lack of hesitation and nodded her head, eyes roaming around the area as she took a quick drink from her water skin. "Might as well drink the water we have and refill the skins while we're here." She murmured to him, earning a silent nod from her companion before she got to her feet and made her way towards the stream.

Crouching down, she dipped the opening of the skin in the water and glanced around as it filled up, unable to shake the feeling of eyes on her as she waited for it to fill. "Legolas..."

"I feel it too." Licking her lips, she glanced back over to where he sat up, her gaze darting around the area then back to him. "Heather, come away from the water for now, we will wait to fill our skins before we leave." He murmured, a hand reaching out to motion her back towards the fire and himself, his head tipped back as he scanned the rocks above them.

Quickly slipping the cap onto her skin, Heather stood up slowly and shot a quick glance around the area before making her way back to the fire again, ears shifting with every little noise sounding around her. A chill going down her back made her freeze however, the look on Legolas's face only making it worse when she made eye contact with him. The stench of rotted meat and moldy mud made her want to retch just before a thick arm wrapped around the front of her shoulders and a rather pointy bit of metal rested against the side of her neck.

Trying to keep breathing through her nose to a minimum, Heather opened her mouth slightly, watching as Legolas drew an arrow against his bow and pointed it at something just over her shoulder. "Let her go."

"I think not." A slimy chuckle sounded beside her ear, making her want to cringe away. "You shoot your arrow, elf, my blade will cut into her neck before it hits. She will bleed out long before you reach any help." It laughed loudly, causing her to wince at it's volume. "Such a pretty thing too." It's nose rubbed against her cheek, followed by a slimy tongue leaving a trail of something she'd rather not think about on her skin.

"You are disgusting!" She spat out, tipping her head to the side just enough to see the creature's profile and gagged when it's smell got stronger. "Well, Princess, I believe that doesn't make a difference once I kill you... After I've had my fun." It snickered at the horrified shine in her eyes when the Orc turned to look down at her.

"Heather! Do not speak to it!" Legolas ordered, his voice stiff with worry as he watched the Orc tighten it's grip on her. Turning back to face him, she let out a cough when she literally tasted the nasty thing's smell on her tongue. "These things are nasty, Legolas." She muttered, making the Orc holding her growl and tighten it's grip on her shoulders. "Such a pretty thing though..." It hissed, tongue darting out again, this time against the tip of her ear, making her tremble at the explosion of nerves. "Wh-!"

"Don't you dare!" Legolas shifted forward a few steps, only making the Orc press it's knife against the side of her neck harder. "Don't move closer. Or your she-elf dies!" It spat, backing up a step, it's foot splashing in the narrow creek behind them.

Shifting her gaze downward, Heather watched the water swirl around her captor's feet with narrow eyes. No matter how shallow the water was, the rocks were always slippery...

 _'I'm going to need to wash myself two, no three times after this.'_ She sighed mentally then shifted her feet into a wider stance, bracing herself for what was to come next. Reaching up, she gripped the arm wrapped around her with both hands before jerking her head back against the Orc's face, a satisfying crunch of bone breaking making a grin flit across her face as it howled in pain.

Sliding one foot back between it's spread legs, she elbowed it in it's stomach hard, making it hunch over and braced her shoulder against it's chest before gripping the arm tight once more and heaving it up over her back. With a loud thud of rock hitting skin, she twisted it's arm above it and pressed her foot against it's throat with a snarl twisting her lips to the side.

Shaking off his surprise, Legolas stepped forward and aimed his arrow at its forehead with narrow eyes. "Who sent you?"

The Orc choked lightly then laughed only to have it cut off when Heather's foot pressed against it's throat harder. "I'd advise you to answer him." She muttered, blue eyes glittering dangerously when it shifted it's yellow eyes up to her. Sputtering slightly, it moved it's gaze up to Legolas again. "No one sends me." It finally spat out, growling under it's breath when Heather twisted it's arm slightly.

"I was told to search the area after horses were spotted heading away." It admitted when the bone in it's arm creaked ominously. "A scout then." Legolas narrowed his eyes, fingers twitching slightly on the arrow he held still in his bow. Heather's eyes darted over to him then back down at the Orc under her foot. "So what do we do with it?"

"As I said before, we kill it." He muttered, pulling the arrow back farther and glancing up at her. Biting on her lip, Heather nodded and turned her head to the side, flinching slightly when the bow twanged and was followed by a thud of arrow hitting flesh. Letting go of the Orc's now-limp arm, she stepped back and washed her hands in the clear water ahead of where the body lay, still ignoring it as she rubbed the dirt from her fingers.

A hand reached out, fingers brushing through her hair in the back of her head lightly. "There is blood in your hair." Legolas murmured, eyes on the dripping black in the red strands in his hand. "Bound to happen when you break a nose with the back of your head." She quipped, eyes focused on her hands as she cleaned under her nails with more focus than necessary.

Staying quiet, he scooped up some water in his hand and let it pour over the hair in his other hand, washing out the black blood staining it repeatedly while the dirty water dripped down to swirl in the stream below. Staying still, Heather closed her eyes and let out a long, low sigh as she let him wash out her hair. "This is the first you've seen death." He murmured, still focused on his task while he spoke.

"I've seen dead bodies, never had the death happen in front of me, no." She replied softly, keeping her eyes shut while his fingers ran through her hair, cleaning out every bit of the Orc blood in it. Falling silent again, Legolas finished washing and stood, eyes shifting over to the orc's body then back down to her crouched form. "We should move."

"Alright." Sighing again, Heather dried her hands on the edge of her tunic before getting back to her feet and moving over towards the fire he put out and picked up her pack to put over her shoulder and followed him out of the now quiet valley into the narrow path ahead of them in silence.

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	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Ah, another chapter for you wonderful readers! This one is a bit dry, but gives you a little more about Heather's past so it was kind of needed.**

 **I debated a long time on if I should end it where I did, but the fact that I have to get up early for my NEW job in the morning (YAY ME), I decided it was for the best. Not the most eloquent ending I've written for a chapter, but I think it will suffice for now before I go back and fix some of my mistakes at a later time.**

 **Anyway, I don't have much else left to say here now, so...**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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Keeping her eyes focused on the ground, Heather slowly made her way through the narrow path Legolas lead her down. When he said narrow, he meant narrow, as in sideways walking for a good half hour. Now she knew why very few people knew about it much less used it- you had to be rail thin to just get through without getting stuck!

Even as fit as she was from her years of various hiking and exercise, she still managed to scrape her chest and stomach against the rock from time to time. It wasn't very long before she began cursing the man in front of her for his lack in the chest department. Let's see how much he grinned when he scraped his breasts raw!

Growling under her breath as she sidled her way through, left hand holding her pack behind her and right hand stretched out to make herself as thin as possible, fingers brushing against Legolas's arm from time to time. "How much farther?" She finally asked, eyes straining to see the end of the path from hell and only managing to see his stupid gold-blond head in front of her.

"Not-"

"You say not much further again and I'm cutting your pretty long hair in the middle of the night." She growled, earning a raised eyebrow before he turned away, a hint of a grin flitting around his lips. " _'Pretty long hair'_?"

"Shut up, not everyone can have that kind of hair naturally." Heather huffed, ignoring his answering chuckle as they sidled along. "It's unnatural."

"My _Ada's_ hair is this color." She rolled her eyes skyward at this, silently begging god, Buddha, valor or whatever powers there be to free her from people with pointed ears and perfect hair. "Unnatural, like I said."

Several minutes of quiet walking and muffled oaths as Heather's chest continually rubbed against the rock wall in front of her in a painful way later found them stepping out from the mountain pass and onto the rocky ground leading down to the grassland below. "Oh thank the Valar..." She muttered, slowly trudging after Legolas with a grimace on her face.

Looking back over his shoulder at Heather, Legolas studied her scraped cheekbones and ragged front of her tunic where the rock had rubbed the threads. Wincing slightly in sympathy, he turned away and lead her down the path towards the grass below, there should be a cave nearby they could rest in until dark.

Chancing another glance back at her, he watched Heather grit her teeth while adjusting the strap of her pack so it wouldn't rest against her sore front. He hadn't thought of her being... Too endowed in the chest to go through the passage. Many Elleth had used it in the past and never had troubles such as her. Despite his reasoning on why she had so much discomfort going through the passage, he felt the tips of his ears burn ever so slightly as he dropped his gaze down to her chest, assessing for a moment then turned away.

She was certainly more... Filled than any other Elleth he had known, explaining exactly why it had been difficult for her. Shaking off his embarrassment, he dropped down a low ledge and looked up towards Heather as she jumped down after him, exhaustion clear on her face.

"Come, there is a cave ahead we will rest in." He murmured, gesturing for her to follow once more as they walked along the low drop until he came upon a familiar opening and ducked inside.

Dropping his pack to the ground, he turned to face her again and caught her attention. "Rest here for now." Seeing her tired nod, Legolas watched her drop her pack to the ground herself and settle down beside it with a soft yawn. Due to the Orc attack before, they had barely stopped to rest while they made their way through the mountains. It had gone unspoken that if one was there, more would follow, her brothers had been sure to tell her that while explaining the nasty creatures to her.

Slipping down to lay on her side, Heather yawned again, head settling against her pack as she blearily watched Legolas go about gathering wood for a small fire for some reason then disappear once more through the opening to the small cave once more.

Unable to keep her eyes open, she slipped off into sleep while he was gone, her dreams hazy with vague silhouettes, disjointed words and various images most dreams were made of. Settling deeper into her slumber, Heather let out a soft sigh and relaxed her body fully against the hard ground.

* * *

Moving quickly, Legolas gathered a few herbs he found growing in the rocky area surrounding the cave before returning before Heather decided to find him only to see her fast asleep against the far wall of the cave. An unbidden smile twitched his lips upwards as he studied her sleeping form. He had not allowed her more than a hours rest for the past two days and despite her obvious exhaustion, she didn't complain other than to curse her chest being rubbed raw.

On that thought, his gaze drifted down again thoughtfully. He had gathered the herbs needed to sooth her raw skin, but he couldn't find it in himself to wake her up so she could take care of them.

However, if left alone, the wounds could fester. There was no telling what infection she could have gotten from the rocks that had been exposed to the elements for decades if not centuries. Frowning with his indecision, he shifted to sit beside the fire, already pulling the clay bowl from his pack and beginning to crush the herbs into a paste while he thought.

Shooting another glance over at Heather, Legolas heaved a silent sigh and returned to his task. He would let her sleep for now, then wake her when the medicine was ready. It would take a few minutes at least, then he had to soak the bandages in hot water before she could use them.

Settling into his task, he kept an ear out for any disturbances outside of the cave as his eyes focused on his hands while he worked. Setting the paste aside, he reached for the bandages in his bag and unwrapped them carefully, silently praying to the valor they wouldn't need them later in their journey as he settled them in another bowl of steaming water he had set near the fire.

Finished for now, he leaned back against the wall beside him, eyes shifting over to study Heather again while she slept. He had heard a little bit about her while staying in Rivendell, the fact that she liked to hike on occasion, her stamina the past couple of days being proof of that. He was glad for that fact actually, or it would have taken them much longer to reach the other side of the mountains.

Drawing deeper into his thoughts, he settled back against the rock behind him farther, his eyebrows drawn together slightly. His father no doubt wanted to keep her in Mirkwood for a time, to study her and see if she proved to be a danger. Not something he particularly looked forward to, however he really had no say in the matter either. He couldn't outright defy his own father, no matter what he thought was wrong.

To be frankly honest, he dreaded their first meeting. While Heather had been amendable while in Rivendell, almost gentle even, being out in the open during their travels revealed a different side of her he hadn't expected. A slight temper that took him by surprise from time to time. Even her little to no self defense had come to the front when the Orc had attacked.

Actually, he paused to look over at her before tossing another stick in the small fire. He had failed to ask her about that, his urge to take care of her after witnessing something that obviously upset her had pushed any questions he had from the forefront of his thoughts.

Elves weren't as affectionate as the race of Man were, however when one of their own needed comfort, it was hard to deny the urge to offer it in any way possible. The ability to feel the emotional state of one of their own could be viewed as a blessing or a curse from time to time. A blessing so it was easy to discern exactly what it was that bothered another elf, but a curse as many times it was difficult to help.

Many times Legolas viewed her as a child, openly curious about everything around her and almost mindlessly cheerful from time to time. Then there were flashes of an older Elleth, one that had seen the worst the world had to offer yet had the strength to carry on despite it all. That same elleth able to travel long distances without complaint, able to subdue an Orc single-handedly then brush off the fact she had been misplaced in the world with no more than a wave of her hand.

Then the child would return, a smile tilting her lips upward almost constantly as they walked, blue eyes sparkling with amusement or mischief from time to time while they spoke.

Shaking his head, Legolas moved from his spot and pulled the bandages from the water, carefully wringing them out before turning to wake Heather from her sleep. Remembering her flailing arms the last time he shook her awake, he chose to shake her leg this time, at least if she kicked out, he would have a better chance at catching her foot if it came towards his face.

"Heather." He murmured, shaking her knee lightly and earning a slight twitch and low grumble from the girl. Closing his eyes, he took a breath and tried again, louder this time as he shook her leg harder. "Heather."

"Mmmm..." She groaned finally, eyes cracking open to look over at him curiously. "What is it, Legs?"

Raising an eyebrow at the shortend use of his name, he gestured for her to sit up, which she obeyed, reluctantly. "Why'd you wake me up? I thought we were in here because it would be safer?" She mumbled, rubbing at her eyes like a child and making him smile slightly.

"Yes, however your complaints while we made our way through the pass urged me to find something that will help." He allowed a small grin pull at his lips when she shot him an embarrassed glance. "If you think I'm stripping in front of you, you got another thing coming." She muttered, fingers plucking at the front of her tunic with a slight grimace.

"I thought no such thing." Turning to the fire, he gathered the paste and bandages and placed them in front of her. "Use this to sooth the raw skin. I will wait outside." With that said, he stood and disappeared outside of the cave to let her take care of herself in privacy.

"Oh, well then..." Heather dropped her gaze down to the tidy folds of bandages and bowl of some green paste on the ground curiously. Shooting a furtive glance back towards the opening, she quickly shed her tunic and winced slightly as the cloth stuck to her skin slightly. Sucking in a breath, she looked down to survey the damage, it wasn't as bad as she thought really. Reaching up, she traced a finger around the sore area thoughtfully, mostly only the tops of her chest and a little of the front were rubbed raw, the tunic had helped somewhat, but the leather binding she wore underneath had taken the worst of it while protecting the rest of her chest.

Heaving a small, grateful sigh, she scooped up a little of the green stuff and sniffed it lightly, marveling at the scent of what she could only call green drifted past her nose. Fresh obviously, he must have gathered them while she was asleep. With a small smile, she began spreading it over the red skin, breathing out in relief when the stinging pain vanished almost instantly.

After struggling with the bandages for a while, she finally made herself presentable again and stood to follow him outside. Ducking past the low opening, she glanced around and caught sight of him not too much farther ahead, eyes scanning the area where he stood.

"Legolas." Heather came to a stop beside him, her own gaze drifting past the grass ahead of them. "Thank you, I feel much better."

"Then it was worth the effort." He murmured, a hand reaching up to grip her shoulder lightly before dropping down again. "Come, we will rest until night fall." With a silent nod, she followed him back into the cave and settled herself against the rock wall once more, watching as he put some more wood onto the fire before he sat down.

The silence between them stretched as the day wore on, Heather drifting in and out of a light sleep while they waited for the sun to set. A gentle hand shaking her awake drew her out of a vague dream of trees and flying cats not long after she had drifted off. "Here." Blinking up at the man in front of her, she finally noticed the small bit of bread in the hand held out in front of her. "Oh, thanks." She murmured, taking it and nibbling on the corner.

"What time is it?" She looked over to where he sat curiously, eyes catching sight of the sunlight outside of the cave with a small frown.

"Just past midday." He answered, the tone of his voice indicating his impatience to move again as he stared at the fire, one hand holding Lembas to his lips but not eating as he seemed to loose himself in thought.

Shifting slightly, she leaned back against the wall and took another bite of her bread, her own thoughts beginning to drift before she frowned at one particular one that had popped up from time to time during the past few days. "Hey, Legolas?"

Seeming to shake himself from his thoughts, Legolas looked over at her curiously, finally taking a small bite of his Lembas, waiting for her to continue. Shifting uncomfortably under his gaze, Heather turned to look at the fire with a small frown on her face. "Back then, with the Orc... He said we were elves."

A long pause followed her statement, making her wonder if she said something she shouldn't have before she heard him move. Glancing up, she watched as he shifted to sit beside her, his shoulder brushing hers lightly. "Yes." He finally said, prompting her to elaborate further.

"I just... Elves aren't real, are they?" She finally sighed, forgetting about eating as she turned to look at him with a frown, obvious confusion written across her face as she studied his profile.

He drew his brows together, Elrond's words flitting across his thoughts as he pondered her question. _'She seems not to be aware of her elvish heritage. It would be best to let her question this on her own rather than bring it to her notice.'_ Turning to glance over at Heather, he studied her obviously elvish features with a critical eye. "Heather..." He hesitated, trying to decide exactly how to explain something like this to someone who believed otherwise.

"This is... This is not your world." He finally said, watching her frown in thought then continued. "Many of the things you believed before... They may not be true here."

"So... You're saying Elves _are_ real here then..?" She raised a dubious eyebrow when he nodded. "Okay, let's say I believe this." Turning away, she watched the fire a moment, gathering her thoughts. "How exactly are you going to prove this?"

Ah, there was the adult elleth shining through her childish front once again, asking the questions that should be difficult to answer. Biting back a smile, he reached up and tapped a finger beside her ear, careful not to touch. "The ears of an Elf are prominent." He chuckled at the faint flush of embarrassment on her cheeks.

"But I'm not an elf, Legolas. I was born with these ears, my parents were human. Why would I be one now?" Now that was a good question, he frowned and fiddled with a fold in his leggings, deep in thought. Elrond or Gandalf may be able to answer that when they returned to Rivendell, but he had no clue as to why this may have happened to her.

"I do not know." He answered honestly, watching as she turned to face him from the corner of his eye. "Perhaps your Ada or Gandalf may offer some answers when you return."

Heather pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on top as she heaved a small sigh. "I hope so, because this is becoming _way_ too confusing for me." Leaning over, she nudged her shoulder against his playfully and grinned. "But I guess I can get used to idea of being an elf."

Smiling back down at her, Legolas pat her head lightly, knowing how much she despised it and ducked away from her swinging fist. Settling back down, he leaned his head against the rock once more. "Heather, I must ask you. Where did you learn to incapacitate one like you did with the Orc?" He finally asked, glancing over to study her face again.

"I suppose it's more or less accident I know. I used to wrestle with my brother a lot before he left to join the army." She murmured thoughtfully, eyes drawn to the opening of the cave while she spoke. "He was much taller than me, over six feet and weighed a lot more." A soft laugh came from her, eyes distant as she replayed some memory in her head. "I learned to use people's height and weight against them because of that. Sometimes it helps to be small."

"It would seem so." Legolas chuckled, the image of her wrestling with a man much larger than her amusing to say the least. "Your brother sounds like a good man."

A wistful smile tugged at her lips as she turned her head to face him. "He was. A very good man." A slight sheen of tears shining in her eyes making him rethink what he said. "Ah-"

"Don't apologize, you didn't know." She waved a hand idly, and smiled wide at his guilty expression. "He died protecting his country. That was more than he or I could ask for. He died so people with horrible ideas wouldn't come to where I lived and destroy everything like they wanted. Granted I would have rather have him alive... He died doing what he loved, and he loved to protect the ones he cared about."

"I don't know much about fighting, but he taught me enough to protect myself just long enough to get help. And where I lived, that was all I needed." Shrugging her shoulders, Heather hid a yawn behind her hand and settled back against the rock farther. "I'm going to sleep for now, wake me up when it's time to leave." Seeing his silent nod, she slid down to lay her head on her pack, eyes fluttering closed almost instantly.

Staying silent, Legolas turned his eyes to look down at Heather in contemplation. She had a difficult past more than he had originally thought, her own brother died in combat, leaving her alone in the world yet she moved on and smiled anyway.

A gentle smile drifted across his face as he brushed a strand of hair to the side, feeling a small pang of sadness for the elleth sleeping beside him. While her physical strength was questionable, her internal strength was endless when it came down to it. Something even he wasn't sure he could claim himself.

* * *

Under cover of night, both Heather and Legolas left the safety of the cave they spent the day in and made their way down the rocky path and into the tall grasses below the mountain. Casting a final glance back towards the rocky peak they went through, Heather bit back a shudder and turned to follow the elf in front of her towards the distant trees she could see ahead of them.

The moon passed by overhead while they walked, running from time to time to pick up the pace, the grass brushing past her hips while they moved forward, her eyes darting around from time to time with each unfamiliar noise she caught with her ears. _'Elf ears.'_ She thought wryly, reaching up to rub the tips with one hand, a small frown tugging the corner of her mouth down.

It was still hard to wrap her mind around, but after their conversation, it had been hard to ignore the signs of her changing since her arrival. Sounds she shouldn't normally hear easily picked up, things she shouldn't normally see were in sharp detail. Her stamina increased at least tenfold as well as the fact she didn't need as much sleep as before either. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to Legolas's back in front of her, silently following him towards the river she could hear rushing head of them.

Picking up the pace, she fell into step beside him, eyes narrowing slightly when she finally caught sight of a faint glint coming off of water. "We don't exactly have a boat." The first thing she said since they set out all night, making Legolas look down at her then back towards the river again. "There is an old ford we will cross when we come to it." Nodding, she shifted her pack on her shoulder slightly. "I've caught my breath. Let's run again." With that, she took off quickly, making him utter a soft curse behind her as he tried to catch up.

It was something interesting they had found out not long after they set out. While her stamina lacked the ability to run as long as Legolas could, she was definitely faster, more so when she took her traveling boots off. Tossing a grin over her shoulder back at him, she giggled softly at the frown on his face and slowed down so he could run beside her. "Don't be upset, Legs." She teased lightly, watching him shake his head in exasperation. "I was just as surprised as you are."

"You run like a deer through the forest." He muttered, earning a jab to the side for his cheek. "That was not intended to be an insult." He grunted, shooting her a look as they continued running across the grassland.

"Sounded like one." She muttered back, picking up the pace slightly so she could run just in front of him. "I speak the truth, Heather. It is admirable." He murmured, straining his legs to catch up with her. A flash of a blue eye winked in his direction, followed by a shy smile. "Well... Thank you then."

Falling silent again, they focused on the path ahead of them, intent on crossing the river before the sun rose. With Orc hiding in the mountain, they would at least have more of a warning should anything come at them near the river.

Glancing up at the moon overhead, Legolas turned back towards the river still quite a distance away from them. "It will be close." He finally stated, making her glance back towards him then up at the sky with a frown. "We still have a few hours before the moon gets to the horizon, let's not waste it." Sharing a quick look, they sped up the pace, Heather easily bounding across the grass with Legolas lagging behind a bit, biting back another curse at her speed as he tried to keep up.

Sending another glance around the area, he stretched his legs farther, attempting to catch Heather moving ahead of him. It wouldn't be good for her if she got too far ahead, but they both knew how important it was they crossed before daybreak making the decision to call for her to slow down a difficult one. Though, before he could say anything, she slowed down and fell into step beside him, embarrassment flickering in her eyes. "Sorry, I forgot."

Shaking his head lightly, Legolas silently denied her apology and saved his breath for running at the moment. It wouldn't be long before her stamina lagged and they would need to walk again, and he didn't see the point in wasting time or air speaking about something trivial. Heather, seeming to understand, fell silent as well. Already her lungs were starting to strain with her breath and her legs were beginning to feel sore as they sprinted towards the water. Silently she begged her energy to hold out, just a little longer so they would reach the river and cross it safely. Not too much farther now, she could see the snaking path of the river ahead of them, closer than she originally expected as they picked up speed simultaneously.

Once they crossed, then they could rest. Not much farther now.

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	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Alright, this one took a little more thought than usual, I couldn't decide on two happenings or on if they should take the original path I had planned or... Deviate just the tiniest bit for giggles.**

 **Soooo You'll see I suppose, no spoilers this close to the reveal, I personally think you'll like this one, a little Legs/Heather time, a little danger, some butting heads and lots of amusement at Heather's choice of fear. (Not really her choice, I have the same fear, possibly to a larger degree) Ahhh yes, Legs can be a little cruel sometimes if given half the chance to apparently, once again I suffer at the hands of the characters I write as I didn't really plan his reaction to seeing her fear. He did it himself.**

 **I also would like to point out that while this chapter took three days to write, it may switch up in writing style somewhere in the middle. Sometimes I'm eloquent, sometimes it looks like spew from a fifth grader attempting to type like a grown-up. Please, don't be afraid to point this out to me as I've already seen it myself.**

 **Anyway, the map I'm plotting out for their travels is taking shape too, if some of you don't know this yet, I have a facebook page, TL S0nya's page, and am posting various images and updates on there. I already posted the main map I'll be using for the duration of the story as well as Mirkwood's map to plot out Heather and Legolas's journey to see his father. Later once I've finished with that and they're safely within the halls of the Elven King, I'll post the finished plotted course for you to gain some idea of the direction they went as well as pointed moments during the story to indicate where they happened.**

 **I think that's it for now, there's an extra bit of info at the bottom of the chapter PLEASE READ IT.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

Slowing to a stop, Heather gave up all pretense of standing strong and simply fell to her knees on the ground, hands clutching the grass in front of her as she pulled in deep breaths of air. Eyes shut tight, she focused on slowing her heart rate, the pounding tempo almost shaking her body with each frantic beat. Over the tandem beat in her ears, she heard the shuffle of footsteps beside her.

A hand patted her back gently while she breathed in, little by little slowing her heart and opened her eyes to look up at Legolas crouching beside her. "You should have said you needed to rest." He murmured, gaze studying her face for a moment then flicking around the area. "We needed to cross the river before the sun rose." She retorted in a raspy breath.

Turning away, she pulled out her water skin and lifted it to her lips, drinking deep then putting it away with a slight cough. Looking across the water in front of them, she frowned slightly at the faint light beginning to brighten the area around them. "We better move, it won't be long before sunrise." With a soft groan, she lifted herself to her feet and gestured for Legolas to lead the way.

Hesitating just a moment, he studied her pale, tired face then turned to lead her across the ford. Even if she was tired and sore, she had a point, they were finally at the river and just in time to cross before the sun rose over the distant forest of Mirkwood. Shooting several glances back to Heather, he slowly made his way across the ford, eyes darting down from time to time to be sure her footing was stable before moving ahead a few more steps.

"Legolas, I'm fine. Would you just move?" Heather snapped, irritated with how he treated her. Sure she was tired, sure her legs hurt, but damn it she was able to take care of herself! Gritting her teeth, she took another step forward an felt the grip on her boots slip. 'Famous last words.' Swearing louder than she intended, her leg buckled under the strain of keeping her balance and down she went.

 _"Shit!_ Legolas!" Heather cried out, the water moving faster than it looked as it carried her downstream swiftly. "Heather!" Shifting around, she pulled her arms back and started swimming at an angle towards the edge, constantly swearing under her breath with each stroke of her arms. "Son of a b-" Swallowing a mouthful of water, she sputtered and coughed a moment before catching her breath again.

Just as the undertow began to pull her under, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and hoisted her up. Coughing, she instantly relaxed in their hold, the vague information she was told years ago that you shouldn't struggle when someone pulls you from the water coming forward as they tugged her to the side of the river.

River rock and sand brushed your toes seconds before the arm disappeared, letting her stumble back onto land, hands and knees planted firmly on dry ground while her body rid itself of the river water she swallowed. "What-" Heather broke off coughing again and opted to lay on her stomach with a groan. "Why is the river so damn fast?" She finally managed to gasp out, eyes searching for her savor before finally settling on Legolas standing beside her, obvious worry etching lines in his face.

When he didn't answer, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Well... We made it across."

"You could have died." His quiet voice broke through her soft coughs and groans, making her fall silent. "I could have, but I didn't."

"You should have been careful." This time his voice raised slightly, indicating anger and making Heather crack open her eyes again to squint up at him quietly for a moment. "I should have, yes. But I wasn't and learned my lesson. Stop worrying about what could have happened and simply be glad it didn't." She snapped back, not in the mood to be lectured like a child at the moment.

Gritting his teeth, Legolas turned away, surveying the area in silence while Heather caught her breath. "Legolas-"

"We should move, can you walk?" He cut her off abruptly, not even turning to look at her as he bent down to pick up his pack and sling it back over his shoulder. Looking up at his back, she sighed and hauled herself to her feet. "Yeah, I can walk."

Wringing out the edge of her tunic, she followed him silently through the grass and towards the trees ahead, a slight throbbing in the ankle that twisted making her limp with each step. Glancing back up at his soaked form ahead of her, Heather frowned slightly at him, already forming various arguments she should have had with him in her head while they walked on.

* * *

Never had Heather been more glad for nightfall as they settled down in a small thicket of bushes, flopping to the ground with a groan and moving to take her boots off. Even in the faint light, she could see her ankle swelling and swore softly in English.

Shooting a furtive glance around, Heather made sure Legolas was still gone doing whatever then turned back to her ankle with a wince. Wiggling her toes slightly, she carefully studied the red skin for a moment then slowly bent her ankle. "Ah! Fu-" Cutting herself off, she bit her tongue and shut her eyes tight against the sharp jolt of pain.

Breathing in through her nose, Heather grit her teeth and bent over her ankle, fingers gently probing the skin while she tried to figure out if it was sprained or twisted. "Well... Shit." Muttering under her breath, she glanced around quickly again before shuffling off her tunic and began unwrapping the bandages on her chest that had somehow stayed in place after her dip in the river.

Once free of them, she studied the cloth with a frown. They were still dirty from the paste Legolas made for her raw skin and she didn't have enough water to spare to clean them. "Maybe if..." Flipping it over in her hands, she eyed the backside of the bandage and smiled slightly, still clean, whatever they were made of, it was a thick durable cloth but still soft to the touch.

Pulling her tunic back on, she set about binding her ankle, eyes focused on the red skin slowly disappearing behind white and green-tinged cloth as she steadily wrapped it around. Pausing long enough to pull her leggings up, she wound the cloth higher on her leg and paused, a small frown tugging at her lips.

Abandoning the bandages, she swiped her fingers on her leg lightly, her _smooth_ leg. A smooth leg that _should_ have had a small forest growing on it after about a month and a half of being away from razors and shaving cream. Still frowning, she pulled her other legging up and rubbed the skin there too, smooth as the other one.

That was how Legolas found her a few minutes later, ankle half wrapped and both leggings rolled up to her knees as she stared at the skin there in confusion. Putting the wood aside, he crouched in front of her, eyeing the ankle she had started to wrap up then looked up at her face.

"Heather." Blue eyes blinked up at him, seemingly coming out of a daze before she registered the fact he was in front of her. "Huh?"

Raising a delicate eyebrow, he gestured to her ankle, watching as she stared down at it for a moment before her eyes cleared with recognition. "Oh, I was wrapping my ankle..." Trailing off, she picked up the bandage again and started winding it around again, ignoring the elf in front of her while she worked.

"What happened?" His quiet question stilled her hands as she looked up at him with a small, thoughtful frown. "I twisted it when I fell in the river." Heather finally admitted quietly, returning to her work only to have his hands brush hers aside and began unwinding it. "Hey! I was almost done, what are you doing!" She complained, trying to stop him while he pulled the bandage away.

"Your wrapping would not last the night." He answered, a faint smile on his lips as he looked up at her. Seeing that, Heather let herself relax suddenly, as if every muscle in her body had been tense up until that moment. Seeing the return of his good humor telling her he forgave her for what happened before.

Shifting slightly where she sat, Heather glanced away towards the pile of wood he had dropped and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "Sorry. About before." She added, seeing his quizzical glance then managed a wry smile as he returned to wrapping her ankle. "I should have been more careful, even where I come from river fords have warning signs posted before them."

"I will admit, it was more fear of you drowning than you not listening to my warning." He murmured in reply, tying off the end of the bandage and sitting back to stare at her face thoughtfully. "I confess, my heart may have very well stopped seeing you swept down the river."

Frowning, Heather shifted uncomfortably again and looked away. Not bothering to even try and analyze what he said. "Well, thanks for saving me anyway. I didn't think the river would be so fast, especially after the ford, usually it's slow for a good twenty or thirty feet before it picks up again."

This time it was Legolas's turn to frown as he glanced back towards the river in thought. "You are correct, however I cannot offer any thoughts as to why."

"Maybe it's a spell." Heather joked lightly, pulling her pant legs down and stood slowly to test her ankle. A soft hiss escaping her when a spark of pain shot up her leg at the action. "Damn, might have to stay off of it for the night, sorry."

When she didn't hear a reply, she glanced up at his face and tipped her head to the side curiously. The expression he held not being one she had seen before, sending a small shudder of worry down her spine. "Er, Legs?"

"A spell..." He murmured, still lost in thought as he stood himself and moved towards the pile of wood he had abandoned in favor of helping her, automatically stacking it together for a small fire while he pondered to himself.

"You know I was joking right?" Hesitating when he shot a glance over his shoulder at her before settling back down on the ground with another frown pulling her lips. "It can't be real, can it?" Looking at her hands, she let out a small sigh and slumped her shoulders. "It's possible, isn't it?"

"It isn't... Impossible." Legolas hesitantly answered, earning a dark look from his companion and let out a silent sigh before turning to face her fully. "There are many spells cast on the lands over the years, it would only take a sharp mind to re-awaken them whenever needed."

Heather stared at him in silence, working over what he had said carefully before drawing her eyebrows together. "So... Someone... Woke up a old spell that makes the river run fast? Why?"

Turning away, he sparked the fire to life and tossed a few smaller twigs into the flames, a dark look in his eyes while he waited for it to catch. "I do not know. My father will be made aware of this when we arrive at my home." Settling down, he dug out some of their travel rations and handed over her share silently. Heather, taking his cue, kept her questions to herself and settled for nibbling on her Lembas. She'd ask after they had a moment of peace and he had a chance to think over what they just learned.

* * *

"You know, those trees are _right_ over there." She huffed, squinting her eyes against the glare of the sun while following Legolas over the flat grassland. "Just there, with shade. Away from this god forsaken sun and heat." She added helpfully when he didn't even spare her a glance backwards.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Legolas finally looked back at her and eyed her frustrated face. "The path we follow is safest. Mirkwood is my home, Heather. Trust me when I say it would be best to enter when safest." Turning back around, he lengthened his stride, forcing her to pick up her pace just to keep up with him. "Then, pray tell, just what is so dangerous in those woods?"

Glancing back at her again, a small, frown tugging his lips downward as he studied her. "Spiders and other creatures best left unsaid."

Now that made her stop right where she was, muscles locked into position as she gaped at him, eyes wide and hands clenched into unconscious fists. "Spiders?" Heather managed to squeak out past a tight throat. "There are _spiders?"_

Stopping as well, he turned to face her fully, taking in her wide-eyed worried expression for a moment then raised an eyebrow. "Spiders much larger than man." Now he watched with some interest when a shudder worked through her body, eyes darting over to study the trees for a moment then back to his face. "Big... Spiders?"

Raising an eyebrow, Legolas bit back a smile and took a step towards her. "Yes. Do not tell me you are... Worried?" He asked, hiding a smile as he watched her twitch ever so slightly at his question. "Me? Worried? Nooo. No. _Nope,_ absolutely not." Her voice rose up higher as she spoke, betraying herself as she refused to look at him or the trees off to their right. "Nope."

Taking another step towards her, this time a small smirk breaking through his careful mask, amusement positively dancing in his eyes. "Frightened, perhaps?"

"Me? Nooo..." Trailing off, Heather shifted on her feet again, still ignoring his gaze as she found something interesting to stare at far to her left. "Not scared, nope, spiders are a snap."

Finally closing the distance between them, a full blown grin breaking across his face as he leaned forward, studying her forced calm with the same amusement as before. "As big as they are, the spiders are able to be silent as well. As stealthy as the smaller of their species." He added, eyeing her as she shuddered again, shrinking away from him when he spoke. "Their stings are venomous, able to kill a man in a mere second or paralyze one so they can carry him away to their nests."

"Agh! **Stoppet!"** Heather finally snapped, jumping away from him and frantically rubbing at her arms, trying to shake off the faint feeling of insects crawling over her. "Fine, I'm scared of spiders. Terrified of them even, happy now?" She scowled at his self-satisfied grin and stuck her tongue out childishly. **"Jerk."**

Shaking his head, Legolas huffed out a quiet laugh and rest a hand on her head. "It is wise to be frightened of such creatures, Heather. It will keep you aware when we do enter the forest." He finally murmured, all amusement melting away from his expression as he stared down at her. "The path we will take is well protected, but there are still a small few that break through the line and attack travelers."

"Ugh, it just had to be spiders. It couldn't have been giant ladybugs or butterflies, but spiders." She growled, ducking out from under his hand and waving wearily at the path ahead of them. "Well, lead on, good Elf. Might as well keep moving." Still shuddering mentally at the idea of a giant spider, she followed after him sullenly as Legolas once more lead the way towards his home. "Spiders, of all things, spiders."

* * *

The sun passed overhead, dousing the two Elves walking along the grasses in it's unwelcome heat as they made their way alongside the forest to their destination. Heather, never one for unbearable heat in the first place, was rather shocked to find she wasn't dripping with sweat that she suspected to be. Glancing up at Legolas ahead of her, she studied what she could of his face and frowned in thought. He wasn't sweating either actually, not even a little pink from the sunlight at all.

Glancing down at her arm, she stared at the pale skin shining up at her and blinked. Every time she could remember before back in her world, she sunburned in just a couple of hours of being out in the sun like this, giving further proof to the fact that she wasn't an elf before coming to this place. "Hey, Legs?" Looking up, she quickened her pace and fell into step beside him, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. "Elves don't tan, do they?"

Peering down at Heather from the corner of his eye, Legolas hummed thoughtfully before answering. "No, we do not."

"They don't burn either."

"No." He raised an eyebrow, his unasked question hovering between the two of them as silence descended. Heather heaved a soft sigh and shook her head, still trying to come to terms with this before tossing a weak smile up at her friend. "I wasn't a elf before coming here." She finally stated, clearing up Legolas's confusion with that simple statement, his eyes darting down to her smooth, pale arm then back to her face. "I always ended up burning to a crisp after just a few minutes outside." Gesturing to her arm, she let out a light laugh and shook her head. "Guess I don't have to avoid the sun anymore."

Legolas smiled lightly at her comment and looked up at the sky. "Elves are closer to nature than any other creature in this world. We need the sun as much as the moon to keep our own balances in check." He stated, cryptically in Heather's opinion, then looked back down at her, a cheerful light in his eyes. "However, I agree with you. It is hot today, more so than I suspected it would be this late in the year." He added, casting another glance upward to the cloudless sky.

"It's always hot in the fall. Summer's way of getting the last word in weather." Heather muttered, glaring in the direction of the sun then turning to plod forward again with a small sigh. "I still prefer nighttime to daytime when it's hot like this. Overcast or raining is much better than any cloudless day." Still grumbling to herself, she gazed forward towards their destination, even without knowing where said destination was. Ignoring his curious look, she pulled out her waterskin and lifted it to her lips for a drink, eyes still on the horizon before stopping and squinting her eyes.

"Hey... You see that too?" Dropping her hand down, she stopped walking and lifted her other hand to shield her face from the sun overhead with a frown. Turning his eyes forward, Legolas studied the grassland in front of them carefully before spotting the vague shapes moving along the ground ahead. "Yes..."

"Any idea what it is?" Dropping her hand, she glanced up at him and lifted a hopeful eyebrow at his look of concentration.

A faint gleam accompanied the figures as they neared the two elves, vague shapes beginning to show detail the closer they got. Hesitating a second too long, he dropped his gaze down to her hopeful one and shook his head once. Seeing this, her expression fell, making her shoulders slump as well. "Orc in the mountains, almost drowning, why not something else?" She muttered sullenly, turning her eyes back to the approaching figures. "Now what?"

Following her eyes, Legolas frowned, warring with himself on what he should do. On one hand, he didn't want Heather to be caught up in a battle, even if he was certain of his own abilities, hers were still questionable even after her display with the Orc. On the other, with anything foreboding this close to his own home sent a warriors urge through him to fight it off and well away from the borders of Mirkwood before they would threaten the forest.

Unsure on what to do, he hovered between his two choices hesitantly, not sure what to do at all for one of the first times in his life. Always before he could make his choice nearly instantly and act on it, now he had to worry about Heather in the process. Frowning, he glanced down at Heather than back to the figures quickly nearing them. It wouldn't be long before they were spotted.

Reaching his decision, he grabbed her hand and began tugging her in the direction of the trees. "Come, we will wait until they pass." He hissed, eyes locked onto the emerging figures of Orc nearing them even as he spoke. "Wai- In there!" She hissed back, her gaze shifting to the looming forest, eyes widening almost to an impossible degree as she resisted.

"It is either we face the forest sooner than planned, or face a small army of Orc. And with so many, do not assume your skills will save you like last time." He growled back, already at the limits of his patience as his hesitation wasted too much time already. It would be mere moments before the Orc spotted them and she wasn't making anything easy.

Heather shot a glance towards the Orc then back to the trees, eyes darting back and forth a couple times before her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine, but spiders are definitely _not_ my choice in way of dying." She hissed as she picked up the pace to run beside him, ignoring the faint throbbing in her ankle as she put too much force on it before it was ready.

Sending a silent prayer to the Valar, Legolas followed her, easily ducking down to hide in the tall grass beside her as they made their way into the trees in silence. Now if they could stay away from any other creatures eyes he would be willing to fall to his knees in thanks.

* * *

 **Anyway, I think that's it for now, I am HOPING to see at lease FIVE reviews for this chapter please, I have more than enough followers so I do not feel ashamed to ask for that many. If any of you want to see the next chapter, I suggest leaving one for my personal boosting of Ego. Hell, you can tell me you think this chapter sucked and it would count as a Review, I swear, I just want to see what you all think of this story. Really, Ask my buddy** _ **Literary Melody**_ **how much I LOVE her LONG, DETAILED AND LOVING reviews she leaves for each chapter. I LOVE THEM, and I reply to respond to each and every point she asked/made. PLEASE, just do me this favor, I can't answer your questions or help clear things up for you if you DON'T ASK.**

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	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Ahh, I'm so glad I had today off to post this, the whole situation had been nagging at the back of my head for some time now and to be able to get it typed out is like a small miracle.**

 **Anyway, I'm just glad I managed to type it all up today, some of it drug on in my opinion, so please bear through these parts until it picks back up again.**

 **There will be a extra A/N at the end of the chapter to point out main parts of the story I know some of you will probaably be asking about.**

 **Also! I asked for five reviews and instead I had gotten 17! Now that is what I like, and a lot of you asked questions or pointed things out you liked, THIS IS WHAT I WANT. Please, keep these reviews up.**

 **I think that's all for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

"There aren't any spiders here, are there?"

"No."

"... Are you sure?"

Biting back the urge to sigh at Heather's insistence to repeat the same question, Legolas turned to look over at where she crouched on her own tree branch across from him. Without a word, he lifted his finger to his lips in the universal sign to _'be quiet'_ then turned back to the Orc pack just outside of the treeline.

They had managed to get into the shadow of the forest just as the Orc arrived, easily climbing up the trees and hiding amid the leaves to keep an eye on the small band milling about. Vaguely they could pick out what was being said between the grunts and clanging of weapons. From what Legolas could make out, they were searching for someone on this side of the mountain range, someone had found a dead scout and reported back.

Glancing back over at Heather, Legolas frowned slightly in thought. They had to be the ones the Orc were looking for, that much was obvious. But why would a small band be dispatched just to find what they assumed to be _one_ traveler? It didn't add up at all, and that alone was enough to make him want to stay longer just to clear up his confusion.

Settling into a comfortable position, he motioned for Heather to do the same and turned an ear towards the pack just outside of eyesight, his focus solely on gathering information that could or could not be useful later on down the road. A few muttered orders to find firewood was met with several complaints and the sounds of blows being landed. Eyes wide, Legolas met Heather's worried stare across from him. If Orc were searching for firewood, they might just cut down a whole tree, the cursed creatures never caring at all about the land or how much they waste.

Staying silent, he motioned for her to follow him and lept away, deeper into the forest, the leaves barely rustling as the two of them ventured farther away until he deemed it a safe place and stopped again. "We will need to travel in the trees for now." He finally explained, clearing up any confusion she had at the moment. Turning to face her again, he frowned at the worry and frank fear warring for dominance in her eyes. "Heather, there is no other choice, we will need to be discrete."

Twisting her lips to the side, Heather let out a low huff of air, frustrated with the situation as a whole. "Did you or Strider have this much trouble when you traveled?" She finally asked, earning a curious look from the elf in front of her. Studying her quietly, Legolas finally shook his head. "No, the Orc in the mountains have been unusually quiet until now."

Heather swore softly in her native tongue, blue eyes darting back to look the way they came from then back to his face accompanied with a scowl this time. "So now, all of a sudden, they're paying attention to everything around them.. While I'm travelling this time. Just my luck." Anger glittered in her eyes as she sunk into self-depreciating thoughts. All her life she had suffered from terrible luck, from having her parents die in a car wreck while she survived, to her brother being killed in combat far away overseas.

Then her luck had reared it's ugly head again after she received that news to tell her not only was he dead, but he had been a P.O.W, a prisoner of war. So they couldn't even recover his body for her to have a proper burial for him. Clenching her fist, Heather punched it into the bark of the tree she sat in, completely forgetting about Legolas as she delved deeper into her thoughts with an ever-growing cloud of anger growing over her.

Of course, of course it would follow her here. Somewhere down the line of her family tree, someone had pissed off the wrong person and had the entire family cursed for the foreseeable future. Only this wasn't Holes, where she would find the family member of said curser and cure everything with friendship and a lot of determination.

Still stuck in her hateful rampage on luck and how little of it she had, Heather failed to notice Legolas trying to get her attention. Only when a hand gripped her shoulder and shook roughly was she roused from them enough to look up at his worried and maybe a tiny bit amused expression.

"We have no time, we must move now." He said once sure he had her full attention once more. "To stay in one place for too long means death in these trees." Now that statement woke her up, sending a wide-eyed stare around the area, Heather shivered slightly and nodded in agreement. There was no amount of hate for her horrid luck in the world that would make her willingly stay in one place long enough for those damnable spiders to get her.

Standing up, she shook off the last vague thoughts of her situation and gestured for him to start moving again. With one last lingering glance at her face, Legolas nodded and started moving through the trees, moving carefully to avoid making sounds as she trailed along behind him.

* * *

Itchy.

Itchy was the feeling of the day.

Heather shifted in her spot, frowning as she attempted to shake off the crawling sensation spreading over her arms. Growling under her breath, she rubbed the skin there, eyes still scanning the treeline for Legolas as she waited for him to return.

They had moved a good ways north before he decided to go 'scout' the area outside of the forest. Which Heather took as code for 'I'm tired of you squeaking in fear every time something moves'. Which, she admitted ruefully, wasn't far off of the mark. She had been so worried about spiders sneaking up on them, she nearly jumped off of whatever tree she was in every time something so much as twitched where she could see it. Sounds? yeah, that was where the squeaking bit came in, she tried not to scream outright whenever she heard something shuffling in the leaves, so it came out as a squeaking noise instead.

Again, that weird crawling sensation rose over her arms as she scanned the trees again, a small scowl twisting her features when she looked down to confirm, once again, there was nothing there. "Damn it, why am I so itchy!" Heather hissed softly, rubbing at her arms once again furiously. The last time she felt like this, it had been-

Freezing, she hesitated to finish that thought then felt herself slump in resignation. It had been when they were about to enter the mountains. _'Why am I so stupid?'_ She mourned softly to herself as she turned around to face whatever it was in the trees behind her with a frown. She wasn't sure if she should just call out to them/it, saying she knew it was there, or to just wait quietly until whatever it was came to her.

Thankfully, she was saved that decision when Legolas made a rather abrupt appearance beside her. "Heather-" He started, only to have her cut him off with a hand over his mouth. Flicking a look over to his surprised expression, she shook her head and looked back out into the trees. "Something knows we're here." She whispered, trying to see something moving in the dappled darkness and failing miserably.

Legolas stiffened slightly with her words, and gently pulled her hand away from his mouth so he could look towards the trees himself, eyes narrowed ever so slightly to try and catch sight of whatever it was. A flicker of annoyance washed over her as she watched him, but she brushed it off as exhaustion and leaned her shoulder against his side for support. "If it's a spider, just off me now before it gets it's nasty legs on me." She muttered, making him shook a quick look down at her and shake his head, something akin to irritation breaking over his features.

"It is no spider." He muttered, standing up on the branch and calling out into the trees. "Come forward!"

Heather heard his voice change from the one she had grown used to over the course of... Was it only a month now? It should have been longer... Shaking off the idle thought, she looked up at her friend in surprise, the authority in his tone unmistakable as he stared into the trees, calling out again sharply.

Finally, a rustle of leaves sounded beside them, making Heather let out another one of those stupid squeaks as she jumped back. A face, yes, a face was peering out of the shadows towards them. "My Lord, Legolas. My apologies." A male elf slipped forward, fluid grace allowing him to pass by the leaves around him without so much as making them quiver. "I had come upon your..." His eyes shifted over to Heather, assessing silently then turned back to Legolas once more. _"Companion_ and assumed they were alone, forgive me."

Once again, Legolas resisted the growing urge to roll his eyes, this time at the elf in front of him. "Heather is my _friend."_ He stated, putting unnecessary emphasis on 'friend' as he held a hand out to Heather, silently offering her help to stand. "We were travelling to meet my Father but had come across a pack of Orc wandering the edges of the forest." He added, watching the boarder scout in front of him twitch ever so slightly at the news. "I see, I shall see to it, my Lord. Do you desire an escort?"

Turning a curious eye to Heather, he watched her shrink away from the elf's gaze in front of them, her rare shyness coming forward under the unwavering stare she got. "We will travel alone." He finally said, earning a thankful glance from her before turning to face the elf in front of him once more. "Notify Ada I will be arriving within the day." A quick nod was his only response before the ellon vanished into the trees once more.

Once the faint feeling of being stared at vanished, Heather breathed a soft sigh of relief and rubbed at her arms gratefully. She'd never get used to that feeling, though, thankfully, it had helped somewhat. Turning to look at Legolas, she offered a weak smile at his stare. "I'm fine."

"How did you know there had been someone in the trees?" He finally asked, curiosity taking light in his eyes while he watched her. He didn't even know the ellon had been there, if she had not of said anything, he would have never known at all.

Of course, they had been trained to pass unseen and unheard through these trees while protecting the path. Many were so skilled, not even their fellow elves sensed their presence. Waiting patiently for her answer, Legolas watched her shift uncomfortably under his gaze. "I felt him."

Not the answer he was expecting at all, in fact, it wasn't even one he had considered. Frowning, he watched her rub her arms slightly then let out a small sigh. "How?"

"I don't know, it's like... A itchy feeling on my skin when someone's staring at me." She snapped, fed up with the sudden line of questioning and taking him by surprise once more. Arching back slightly, he blinked and took the time to study her appearance before saying anything more. There were dark circles under her eyes from their near-nonstop travelling the past few days, if their assumption about her turning into an elleth when arriving in this world was right, she was still adjusting to her new elvish body and having troubles with it.

To put it simply, she must have been exhausted, and he wasn't helping matters by questioning her so intently. Deciding to put everything aside for now, he reached out and rested a hand on her head lightly, earning a weak scowl from her. "Come, a few hour's traveling will bring us to my home."

Turning away, he went to jump from the tree only to be stopped by her hesitant question. "Legolas, why did he call you _'my Lord'_?" Closing his eyes, he silently wished she had not of been there to hear the conversation between him and his Father's lead scout.

"We will speak when we reach my home." He finally murmured, turning just long enough to see her nod reluctantly then jumped down from the tree. Knowing the scouts were patrolling the area gave him enough peace of mind to let them travel along the path rather than the trees like he had planned.

He waited for Heather to jump down from the tree herself then began walking in the direction of his Father's halls. When they first started out on this journey, he had dreaded the moment she met his father, knowing full well her stubborn pride wouldn't allow her to bend to the elven King's will.

But now he dreaded not only that, but the moment it became clear to her he was not just a warrior like she had assumed, but the King's son as well.

* * *

Staring up at the large doors in front of her, Heather let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Wo-ow, you Greenwood Elves sure know how to make a person feel welcome." She muttered sarcastically, careful to use the proper term for the forest after Legolas had warned her ahead of time not to call the forest Mirkwood around any of the elves in his home. Apparently it was a type of slur she had unwittingly used. Then again... She slanted a sideways look over at her companion thoughtfully. So had Legolas now that she thought of it. Did that mean he didn't care about his home?

When said companion looked over at her, she shook herself from her thoughts and sent a wry smile up at the elf. "Well, lead on then." Seeing his answering smile, she relaxed the smallest bit and followed him inside, trying and failing to ignore the curious looks from the elves standing guard by the doors as she walked past.

Silently they made their way through the hallway, various works of art hung on the stone walls on either side of them catching her attention from time to time before they walked through another set of doors that opened up into a large theater-type room, a throne carved from some petrified tree taking up dominance in the center.

Shooting a look towards Legolas, Heather watched him walk up the stairs leading to the throne and stop in front of it respectfully, bowing to the Ellon seated on it. Pale blue eyes watched him in silence before moving to where Heather stood farther down, making her fidget under it's gaze. "Welcome home, Legolas." He finally drawled, making him shift slightly on his feet, almost mirroring the girl's actions when his gaze drifted back to him.

"It has been much too long." He added, watching with distant curiosity as Legolas shot another furtive glance towards the girl then turned back to him once more. "I trust you remember what I had asked? Where is Estel? Was he not meant to accompany your return?"

Biting back a soft groan at his Father's instance to play games, Legolas grit his teeth and shook his head slightly. "He had been called away on a matter of importance." He murmured, watching his father from the corner of his eye as the King stood from his throne and stepped down from the dais to join him.

"Then I thank the Valar you returned safely." Thranduil stated, hands reaching up to clasp Legolas's shoulders tightly. "My son."

Before he could utter a reply in return, a soft squeak sounded from behind, making both elves turn to look down at a red-faced, horrified Heather as she stared up at them with wide eyes. **"Oh my god."** She muttered in English, gaze darting back and forth between both of their faces quickly. **"I am so stupid."**

Hearing her strange language, Thranduil's brows furrowed in a show of irritation, gaze sharpening as he stared down at her. "Speak in a language all will understand, girl." He ordered, making her jump at his sudden switch from easygoing to demanding. "Er... Sorry." She muttered, tipping her head in embarrassment as he looked on, seeming appeased with her subservience.

"Ada." Legolas hissed, gaining his Father's attention once more as the king moved to sit on his throne again. "We have traveled through the past three days without much rest." He added, watching Thranduil think over what he said then nod. "Very well, show her to a room in the guest wing, then we will speak over dinner." Turning away, he picked up a scroll and began reading something he apparently had before they arrived, silently dismissing both his son and friend effectively.

Bowing slightly in thanks, Legolas turned to join a still-shocked Heather, gently taking her arm and guiding her away from the throne room and down another hallway. Her silence seemingly having weight as it rested on his shoulders and head while they walked. Chancing a glance downward, he studied her face but came up with no answers to ease his worry.

He had known she'd be surprised after finding out he was, in fact, a prince, however her refusal to meet his eyes and keeping her thoughts to herself was fraying his already shredded nerves at the moment. Stopping in front of the door to her new room, he opened it and lead her inside. It was sparse, but comfortable at least. A bed, desk and chair, even a small washroom for her set off of the room. Hesitating just a little, Legolas led her towards the bed and had her sit before drawing the desk chair over to sit in front of her.

"Heather." He tried, watching her eyes dart to his face quickly then back away to stare at something off to the side with feigned interest. Letting out a small sigh, he reached forward and turned her head to face him, one eyebrow raised up when she finally, unwillingly, met his eyes. "Speak to me."

"What can I say..?" She finally sighed, pulling away from his hands and crossing her arms in front of her protectively. "You know, it might have been something to tell me when we met."

Tipping his head back, Legolas closed his eyes, jaw tightening slightly as he fought back the rise of frustration towards his father once again. "How could I have? There were not many... Opportunities to tell you."

"Oh I don't know, maybe something like, _'Hello, I'm Legolas, **bad-ass** fighter and by the way, I'm a prince._ ' I'd probably have accepted it then." Heather snapped, making him look back down at her sullen expression. "All this time you were a prince and I've been treating you like some... I don't know! Commoner!" Throwing up her hands, she fell back onto the bed and covered her eyes with an arm with a soft groan. "I am such a **moron."**

This time a growl did break through his control as Legolas reached forward and tugged Heather back into a sitting position, her arm falling limply down onto her lap as she stared at him. "I did not mind it, Heather. I promise you."

"Yeah, well I'm pretty sure your Father wouldn't want you slumming around with us commoners." She growled, narrowing her eyes into a sharp glare as he did the same to her. "You are no commoner."

"I am!"

"You are the daughter of Lord Elrond!" He shouted back, not caring one bit her bedroom door still stood wide open, allowing their voices to echo down the hallway to any ears that might be interested at the moment. "You are a Lady of Rivendell, and no lower than I am." He added quietly when he saw her slump back onto her bed again.

"Adopted, Legolas. And I'm hardly Lady material." She scoffed, making the elf in front of her want to tear his hair out at her stubborn attitude. "You are a Lady of Rivendell. Do not speak of yourself in such terms again." He finally muttered, making her glare at him once more. "Is that an order, _my Lord?"_ She hissed out from between clenched teeth, watching as he twitched in the chair and refused to look at her this time.

Pressing her lips together, she watched him let out a small sigh and run a hand through his hair, eyes drifting over to the desk set against the wall silently. Pressing them tighter together, she fought off the sudden giggle that tried to break through.

She couldn't help it, the whole situation was ridiculous! Her closest friend was actually a prince and here they were fighting about her status like it was important. None of that mattered at all when it was just them. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she tried to silence the snicker that broke through her lips, watching Legolas turn to face her with confusion on his tired features.

"Sorry, I-" She snorted this time, making her eyes widen in embarrassment a fraction of a second before all of her pent up frustration spilled forth, in the form of ractiuos laughter that bounced around the room and down the halls. It wasn't long until Legolas joined in, his soft chuckle joining her boisterous laughter until it finally died down, leaving the two of them tired beyond comprehension.

"Ah~" Heather sighed, wiping a tear from her eye as she sat up with a silly grin still pulling her lips apart. "I needed that."

Letting out one last chuckle, Legolas reached over and ruffled her hair with a smirk of his own. "Indeed." He murmured, moving away from her weak swat and standing up from his chair. "Sleep for now, Heather. I will come and wake you for the evening meal." Seeing her nod sleepily, he moved towards the door and glanced back only to see her sprawled on her back haphazardly, fast asleep already. Shaking his head, he shut the door behind him and walked to his own room a few hallways away, mentally preparing himself for whatever his father had to ask about her before she joined them for dinner. There was no doubt in his mind Thranduil would grill him on every aspect of the elleth he could before turning his assessing gaze to her and watching himself to see how much rang true.

Closing his door behind him, Legolas leaned against it with a low groan. First things first, a bath, then he would sleep until his father summoned him. He would deal with everything when he woke, and no sooner than that.

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 **Alright, do address any questions I know some of you have:**

 **Yes, I know I skipped through them actually going through the forest, but let's be honest, I'm not ready to traumatize Heather with spiders just yet, it will happen. Just not right now.**

 **As for Thranduil: I really hope I captured his character, as well as his and Legolas's interaction. Because I'd hate to have written it all wrong and then have to go back and do it all over again only to make it worse. Please, pointers on this!**

 **Erm... I'm not sure what else to point out in this chapter so if there's something that's bugging you or anything, don't be afraid to review me about it!**

 **Now then, I will go a bit further since the amount of reviews I had gotten before went above and beyond what I asked for...**

 **TEN REVIEWS to get the next chapter. TEN.**

 **Good luck! And... Maybe, JUUUUUST MAYBE, I might have something special planned for the 100'th review. Just a little incentive.**

 **~TL**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **Welp, here we are with the next chapter. Out a little later than I planned but I got it done! Took me ages, ugh, between work and cleaning and taking care of my daughter I barely managed to get 3-4 paragraphs written a day.**

 **Thankfully today is my day off so I was able to finish writing and go over it with a critical eye without a single interruption. (Ignoring the fact my daughter decided to be a whining mess today)**

 **Anyhow, it is the much awaited Thranduil-Heather confrontation! Wooo! I had so much fun writing that bit up, I still have a stupid grin on my face. Actually, to be honest, Heather's words to him have been on my mind for the past two weeks, so it just needed a little ironing out before it was ready.**

 **However I will leave it at that before I give out any spoilers, haha.**

 **An extra-special internet cookie for the ones that guess what the next chapter will entail. I've left little nuggets of info in this one to help point you to the right direction. Come on, you lot are smart! Figure it out!**

 **I think that's all for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

A soft knock on her door woke Heather from her much needed sleep, earning a low groan of irritation as she sat up and moved sleepily to the door. **"Yeah?"** She managed to get out through a yawn only to have a soft, musical voice reply. "Sorry, Lady Sonya, I do not speak the language you used..." Whoever they were -a girl from what she could hear through the door- hesitated then continued. "I was bid to wake you and bring a gown for the evening meal."

Rubbing at her eyes, Heather swallowed a sigh and opened the door for the girl, watching blearily when she bustled in and moved towards the second door in her room and opened it to reveal a bathroom of sorts. "You have time to bathe and dress before Lord Legolas comes to retrieve you." Now that she was more awake than before, Heather could hear a small bite in the elleth's voice making her raise a curious eyebrow. "Ah, thank you." She muttered, moving forward to join what she was beginning to suspect a maid in the washroom, watching as she carefully hung the dress on a rack off to the side. "I'll just... Do that then." With a nod, she waited for the girl to leave so she could undress.

And waited some more.

Pursing her lips, Heather eyed the elleth pointedly then turned to the door. "Aren't you going to leave?"

Stiffening slightly, the Elleth turned her gaze from the steaming water and back to Heather once more. "I was bid by the King himself to help you wash."

"I'll bet he did." Heather growled, suddenly more sure than anything said King wouldn't be so kind to her as he seemed to be with Legolas earlier. If anything, she would bet her long, red hair that he wanted this maid to study her and report back any anomaly to him. As if she had anything to hide!

Sniffing slightly, she turned away from the girl and tugged the belt on her tunic loose before tugging it over her head, hissing softly when the newly mended skin on her chest tugged from the movement. "Are you hurt?" The sudden, caring tone in the maid's voice nearly threw her off balance. Glancing over her shoulder, Heather eyed the soft light shining in the maid's grey eyes and smiled sardonically. "I'm fine now. Just a little bit of raw skin." Turning back to her task, she finished tugging the tunic off and dropped it to the side.

The soft intake of air behind let her know the other woman could clearly see the top edges and tips of the tattooed wings on her back. "Before you ask, it's a type of art from where lived." She tossed over her shoulder as she untied the leather bindings on her chest and let them drop. "It won't wash off ether." She added with a cheeky smile, turning slightly so she could see the maid's face.

Surprise was evident on the woman's face before she carefully schooled her features once more. "I see... How is it done, may I ask?" She added hesitantly, the sharp bite that had been in her voice before curiously absent while Heather finished tugging her leggings off and moved towards the water. "With ink and needles." She sighed, slipping into the heated bath with a silent praise to whatever powers there be for hot water and closed her eyes.

"A needle is coated with ink and then poked into the skin, when the needle comes out, it leaves ink behind underneath, making it stay." She added, turning to face the maid fully this time, arms resting on the edge of the bath as she watched the elleth move closer with a curious eye. "It sounds painful." The elleth finally murmured after lapsing in silence for a moment.

Another grin broke across Heather's features at that, tipping her head down in a quick nod. "Yes, it did. A lot, but well worth it. Now I can carry my art with me wherever I go."

"You... Drew these? How did you reach your back to put them there?" Grey eyes sparkling with curiosity locked onto Heather's face while she tipped her head just enough to rest her cheek on the backs of her hands. "I didn't, I drew the wings on paper and then had someone called a tattoo artist take the picture and put it on my back."

Silence drifted over the two of them for a time, giving Heather leeway to dunk under the water and soak her hair thoroughly. Coming back up, she was met with a determined maid with a jar full of soap for her hair. "Lean back, Lady. I will wash it for you." The steely glint in her eyes refusing any argument that might have gone with the statement. Deciding not to waste energy she knew she'd need later during dinner with Legolas and his father, Heather gave in and let the maid scrub the soap into her hair.

 _'Just act like you're getting your hair cut.'_ She thought ruefully, eyes closed as the elf's fingers gently massaged her scalp. _'And the girl doing my hair is a master hairdresser...'_ She amended silently, enjoying the massage as it eased away the faint feelings of a headache she didn't even know had been there until just then. Silence once again reigned in the little room, letting Heather sink into her thoughts while her hair was taken care of and oils were given to her so she could wash herself thoroughly.

It didn't take much to figure out now it was the King himself that wanted to know how she showed up. Originally she had figured Legolas's father had been the head of the King's guard and needed to know how she did in order to keep an eye out while protecting said King's world.

Now she found out that the man was both Legolas's father and the King put everything into stark light. The King was worried with how she appeared, probably thinking she was a spy of sorts and needing to find out just how much -or little, she added ruefully- she knew of the Elvish ways and how exactly she managed to get herself so close to an Elvish city without anyone seeing her until then.

Frowning at the turn her thoughts were taking, Heather tuned into the world around her just in time to hear the Maid urge her from the bath and out so she could be dried and change into the gown.

It was a beautiful gown, she could admit to herself as she smoothed her hands down the front carefully. Made out of something very similar to velvet and a deep green that nearly matched her eyes. The neckline a modest square that showed her collarbone and stopped an inch below it. No cleavage here, thankfully, Heather wasn't sure if she could handle wearing anything remotely sexy at the moment. She suffered no delusions about how she looked and knew it wasn't her style to wear clothing like many of the Elleth from her new home wore daily.

Turning around, she sat in the desk chair the maid had pulled out for her, and tipped her head back slightly so the woman could begin brushing out her hair -gently of course, whatever changed the maid's attitude towards her still didn't let up. And she still had no idea what happened to make her act differently either.- and twist it into an elaborate hairdo.

Once the last strand of red had been tucked into place, Heather went to stand only to have something settle on top of her head and clip into her hair to keep it in place. With a frown, she reached up and traced her fingers along the cool metal there then turned to the maid with the question on her tongue.

"Lord Legolas bid me to have you wear this, as a reminder you are a daughter of Lord Elrond." Lifting her hands, she adjusted the circlet carefully then stepped back with a soft smile. "He would have no words against it either." She added when Heather opened her mouth again. Frowning again, she let out a small sigh and nodded slightly. "Alright, fine. I won't take it off if it's that damn important."

With that, the Maid smiled brightly, her grey eyes twinkling slightly in amusement at Heather's grumpy expression. "He will be pleased to see you with it."

Rolling her eyes, Heather moved to stand and stalked over to the small mirror hanging on the wall across from her, turning her head side to side to study the circlet critically. Catching sight of the still-smiling maid's reflection behind her, she turned around and tipped her head to the side.

"I have to ask." She burst out suddenly, catching the elleth off-guard with the explosion of words tumbling past her lips. " **Why did** _lle_ **seem** _ikotane_ **irritated with** _amin_ **when** _lle_ **first got** _sinome?" (_ _ **why did**_ _you_ _ **seem**_ _so_ _ **irritated with**_ _me_ _ **when**_ _you_ _ **first got**_ _here)_

Blinking at the strange way Heather spoke, the elleth shifted uncomfortably, making the red-head belatedly realize she had spoken in broken Elvish, mixing her English up with the beautiful language like she normally did when excited about anything. It had caused more than one bemused or confused expressions from her family.

"Sorry." Blushing, she repeated the question carefully in full Elvish, making the maid blush herself and shift uncomfortably where she stood. "I see... You must understand, I have never traveled from the trees of Greenwood and do not understand the ways of Elvish living outside of our own." She began, grey eyes drifting around the room before settling on Heather again.

"Many elleth or ellon that are adopted into a high-standing family usually believe and act as if they deserve everything and do not need to apologize for their actions. I had assumed, wrongly, you would be the same." Lifting her hands, she smiled apologetically at Heather's surprised expression. "I do apologize."

"No, no..." Heather breathed, a crooked smile tugging her lips to the side as she moved forward to join the elleth by her desk and taking her hands in a friendly manner. "Don't apologize. I most likely would have been the same." With a small laugh, she shook her head and tossed a wry look up at the maid. "No, I know I would have."

Hearing that, the maid's tinkling laugh joined hers as they erupted in a fit of giggles at the thought of acting that way. A soft knock broke through their laughter, making them share a quick glance before Heather moved to open the door. "Yes?"

Legolas's amused eyes stared down at her as she peered around the edge of the door. "It is time for the evening meal." He answered her unasked question, watching understanding dawn in her eyes. "Oh! Alright." She glanced over her shoulder and spoke to whoever was behind her quiet enough Legolas couldn't hear before opening the door fully to reveal what she wore.

Blinking, he stared down at the forest green dress then glanced up at her hair where the circlet he had given the maid earlier sitting there. "I see _Nimphel_ helped you dress." (pearl)

 **"Hm? Oh, yeah, she's great."** Heather grinned up at him, slipping back into English while they spoke, making the young maid behind her shake her head slightly. "Milady." She gently pushed Heather out of the door and into the hall before joining them. "Remember to speak in a tongue others may understand you." A silent warning flashing in her grey eyes before turning away and moving down the hall away from the two of them.

Raising an eyebrow, Heather watched the maid walk away before turning to look up at Legolas with a frown. "Is it just me, or did she warn me about something?"

He shook his head and took her arm, leading her towards the private dining room they would be sharing a meal with his father. "You did not imagine it, I suspect she means to remind you speaking in English while near my father may prove to be..." He paused, trying to think of the right word before smiling down at her wryly. "Irritating."

"Alright then..." Shaking her head, Heather let Legolas lead her down several different hallways before they came to a stop in front of a single door. "Be mindful, _Ada_ will look for any reason to use his sharp tongue on you." He whispered in her ear then turned to open the door for her and followed inside.

Turning her gaze from the polished floors, Heather looked up to study the room and felt a stab of awe at the careful design the room held, tapestries draped over the right wall facing a wide window opening up to a balcony overlooking a sizable garden from what she could guess. Warm reds and oranges gave a taste of fall as she let Legolas lead her to the table, still gaping at the room around her in astonishment. Her feeble attempts at making her run-down apartment look homey couldn't hold a single candle to what she saw. Each and every corner held a touch of loving attention from the flower vases -they were all empty- to the warm red rug sitting in front of a small fireplace.

To put it frankly, it was beautiful, gorgeous even. Casting a sideways look at Legolas, Heather met his equally awed stare then turned back to face the table where a certain King sat sipping from a goblet. _"Ada."_ Legolas bowed his head slightly, subtly motioning behind his back for Heather to do the same as he did so.

Closing her eyes, she held back the urge to sigh and roll her eyes as she bowed as well, slightly deeper than Legolas in deference to someone of a higher station than her then straightened back up in time to catch Thranduil's gaze settle on her. Silence stretched between the three of them, making her want to fidget but instead forcing her to stand still, eyes locked with the King's as a challenge for him to talk down to her like she suspected he was debating on right that moment.

"Come. Sit." He finally waved a hand at the chairs settled on either side of the table he sat at the head of. The right one sitting beside him while the left a little ways down the table. Obviously hers from the way Thranduil eyed her with that imperious look on his face before turning a more pleasant gaze to his son as he sat down beside him, ignoring Heather as she settled in the chair farther down with a silent curse.

"I heard word from our patrol of a Orc pack roaming the edges of the forest." The King began, turning his attention down at the goblet still in his hand. "They say the pack came from the mountain." Grey-blue eyes flicking over to where Heather sat before turning to his son once more. "They speak of looking for an elf that must have passed without their notice until it was too late." Lifting the goblet once more, he took a sip then settled it back on the table as several servants bustled in carrying various trays laden with food and began setting them on the table before retreating.

Legolas shifted in his seat ever so slightly then began filling his plate silently, thinking over his words carefully before speaking. "We had a run-in with a scout." He finally admitted, shooting a glance over at Heather as she picked at the food on her own plate, seemingly without appetite. "However we were not wounded and left quickly after dispatching it." She flinched slightly at his statement, pushing back the mere idea of what happened in the narrow gorge. Picking up a piece of bread, she nibbled on it unenthusiastically while the two of them spoke.

"I trust there were no... Difficulties?" Thranduil asked, the tone of his voice suggesting Legolas was holding back information. Shooting a quick look at his father, said elf frowned at the way he stared at Heather, a barely perceptible sneer curling his upper lip. "No, Ada. In fact without Heather, the scout would have most likely have escaped to notify the rest of the pack." He clipped, making his father narrow his eyes.

"Is that so? Does she carry a weapon I had no knowledge of?" He asked, one eyebrow raising in disdain when he glanced back at his son.

"No. She used no weapon other than her body." Legolas barely bit back the growl at the end of his statement, blue eyes locking with grey-blue in an obvious challenge.

"Truly? Then tell me, Heather. How might a young elleth like yourself know how to take an Orc scout without a weapon?" Thranduil turned his attention back to the red head, cold amusement glittering in his gaze when she jumped at the sudden address. "Ah..." She mumbled, shooting a pleading look with Legolas before turning reluctantly to his father.

"I managed to pin it down by sheer luck..." She trailed off, her green eyes hazing over in memory. "It was either that, or I let that... Nasty thing touch me." She added, swallowing the bile threatening to rise in her throat before shaking off her thoughts and fixing Thranduil with a stony gaze. "I would ask you not to remind me about it either." She added, watching the King stiffen at the sharp tone of her voice.

"Who are you to order me?" He hissed back, a dangerous spark in his eyes while his hands planted themselves on the table, raising himself out of his seat slightly while staring her down. "You are nothing. _Nothing!"_ He roared suddenly, making her jump and blink over at him in surprise. "An unknown elleth that appeared out of nowhere and managed to worm her way into Lord Elrond's home with big eyes and weak smiles!" Standing straight, he lifted his chin and stared down his nose at her. "You. Are. Nothing."

 _"Ada-"_ Legolas hissed, jumping up himself and fixing his father with an angry frown marring his features only to be stopped by a soft voice. Turning to look over at Heather, he furrowed his brows at the almost lazy look on her face as she observed his father.

"He's right, Legolas. I am nothing." With a shrug, she barked out a soft laugh and shook her head before standing, hand reaching up to pluck the circlet from her hair and setting it gently on the table. "I was nothing before coming here, and am nothing now. You are right, Your _Highness."_ She sniffed in amusement and looked over at Thranduil idly. "However, this nothing took on an Orc with nothing but her bare hands. This nothing traveled all the way from her home in Rivendell to meet you because you, er, _asked_ me to."

Reaching up, she plucked the pins carefully keeping her hair contained and let it fall back around her shoulders while running a hand through it thoughtfully. "I'm not exceptionally beautiful. I'm not particularly talented in anything really. I can't play any musical instrument to save my life or really do anything artistic without a great deal of frustration on my part." Pausing, she turned to study the room, easily ignoring the King's growing ire for a moment before continuing. "I didn't even know the language of my supposed people before coming here." Another laugh at that, her head shaking once more. "I can't handle a weapon either. But you know something?" She asked, fixing her steely gaze back on Thranduil, sudden conviction settling on her features as she eyed the King. "Things people brush off as _'nothing'_ usually have a bad habit of coming back and biting them in the ass." She hissed, moving away from the table and towards the doors. "I seem to have lost my appetite, so I'll just retire early."

"You dare threaten me?" Thranduil growled, watching her pause with a hand on the door and glance back at him with that same frustrating amusement in her eyes. "No, never. Merely reminding you that anything easily ignored has a way of making themselves known." With that said, she opened the door and disappeared out into the hallway without another word.

Clenching his hands into fists, Thranduil narrowed a glare on the door, ignoring his son when he came to stand beside him a moment longer. _"Ada."_

Turning his gaze onto Legolas's angry expression, the King sneered again and sat back down, hand reaching out to reclaim his goblet and gulp down the rest of his wine. "Do you approve of her speaking to me in such a way, _Utinu?"_ (Son)

With a sigh, Legolas physically deflated, unsure on who he should be defending at the moment anymore. "No, however I did not approve of the way you spoke to her either, _Ada."_ Turning away, he went to leave as well only to be stopped by his father's voice. "Have you no allegiance to your people, Legolas?"

Turning slightly to study his father from the corner of his eye, Legolas held back a snort at the game he played before turning away once more. "My allegiance lies with my people and those who are my friends, _Ada."_ Straightening his posture, he left the room as well in search of Heather who he suspected most likely had gotten lost due to the fact her thoughts running wildly after her altercation with his father.

Snorting softly to himself, Thranduil eyed the door his son just disappeared through and turned back to his empty goblet in thought. The girl had more fight in her than he expected, after the initial meeting, he had assumed she was weak-willed. Now, however, he knew that to be wrong. She had the temper her hair warned of and he couldn't be more pleased with that.

A slow smile curled his lips upwards slightly in anticipation. It had been far too long since anyone other than his son openly defied him like that.

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	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Well well well, here I am again! Surprise!**

 **Well, not so much of a surprise for those of you that follow my facebook page, I did say I'd be posting this chapter soon...**

 **(Those of you that don't know, I have a writer's page on Facebook under the name TLS0nyas Page go look it up!)**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry for how long it took me to write, between my daughter, work and medical issues in my family, I haven't had much time to just sit down and work on the story. Though, I have come up with a couple of ideas that will happen in future chapter** **s so keep an eye out for those!**

 **Erm, oh! I did get a couple of interesting things in the mail this week, I had ordered an Evenstar necklace, as well as a Lothlorian leaf pin and the One Ring, I have the first two, but I'm still waiting on the Ring to come in, once I get that, I'm sure I'll be posting pictures on facebook.**

 **As for those of you that reviewed and said you weren't sure you liked Thrandy's reaction to Heather in the last chapter, I will explain: I know he normally wouldn't say things like that, I know he's better at giving underhanded comments than right out in your face with how much he distrusts you, but I needed him to do that because in case you haven't noticed, Heather is the kind of person that will ignore anyone that tries to be snide with her unless they give her a full reason to react to them. Thranduil needed to act that way or else she'd just ignore him the entire time she would be there, and that would just be boring.**

 **Anyway, that said, I will say this: I do hope I had their next meeting in this chapter written better and much more in line with how he normally acts. Please let me know!**

 **That's all for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot.**

 **~TL**

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 **(REMINDER: Words in bold are said in English.)**

* * *

Heather stormed from the dining hall and made her way through the hallways, her sight blurred by frustrated tears as she scrubbed at them with the heels of her hands in irritation. **"Why?"** She finally sighed, casting a look around the unfamiliar place she found herself standing in and slumped against the wall beside her.

Thinking back, she winced slightly at her reaction to the King's harsh words. "Great, he's gonna toss me in a cell somewhere now because of this, I just know it." Drawing her eyebrows together, she folded her arms and stared at the tapestry across from her, deep in thought. She usually had a firm grip on her temper, rarely ever had it blow up n her like that. Even with everything that had happened in the beginning when she first arrived, after all of that, she still managed to keep it in check.

Puffing out her cheeks, Heather let out another sigh and hung her head. Now, of all times, she had to go and let her fuse burn. Running a hand through her hair, she pushed away from the wall and started walking again, determined more than ever to find her room and hide away in it for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, when Legolas lead her to the Dining Hall, she hadn't been paying close attention to the directions while they spoke.

 **"Damn."** She hissed, narrow eyes studying the two hallways in front of her in concentration. Vaguely she could remember taking two or three turns while they walked, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what way they went each time.

"Heather!" Slumping with relief, she turned to the voice and forced a smile -it looked more like a pained grimace- on her face as Legolas ran up beside her and stopped. **"Hey, can you show me back to my room?"** She asked conversationally, purposely using English just in case Thranduil decided to _'conveniently'_ walk around the corner.

"Heather-" Legolas sighed only to have her cut him off with a sharp look. **"No, if he refuses to be polite to his guest-"** She snorted at that. **"Then I refuse to be polite for him."** Turning away from him, she moved to take the right hallway, intent on finding her room more so than ever.

Reaching out, Legolas gripped her shoulder and steered Heather down the left-hand hallway instead. **"If you insist."** He murmured, a troubled expression spreading across his face. **"However I will not always be there to help."** He added, casting a side glance down at her where she walked beside him.

 **"I know."** She murmured, bumping her shoulder against his in a familiar fashion and grinned slightly. **"But you have to admit his face was priceless."**

Biting down on his lower lip, Legolas turned his head away to hide the amusement he knew to be flickering on his expression. **"Yes..."** He cleared his throat and fixed a stern look on her. **"However Father will not take what you said lightly."**

 **"So he is going to throw me in a dungeon."** Heather's good mood slipped away, leaving her to drop her head down and stare at her feet moodily. **"At least let me have a pillow or something, would you?"**

 **"Dungeon?"** He eyed her incredulously and shook his head. **"No, Heather. You will not find yourself in the dungeon anytime soon. However if you continue to attack my father-"**

 **"I attacked him!"** She hissed, interrupting what she suspected to be a lecture, stopping in the hallway and leveling a narrow-eyed glare on Legolas when he turned to look at her. **"He attacked me first! All I did was ask if he wouldn't remind me what happened! Then he blew up saying I was a nothing!"** Clenching her fists, Heather took a deep breath to calm herself down before continuing.

 **"I won't have anything to do with him if he will leave me alone. I don't take kindly to anyone saying that to me and I'm absolutely certain if anyone said that to you, you'd have done the same thing."** With that said, she swept past him and towards her room now that she recognized the hallway they stood in.

 **"Goodnight, Prince Legolas."** She muttered, opening the door to her room and slipping inside before he said anything, closing it behind her and locking it. Pausing beside the door, she waited to hear anything on the other side, only catching a soft sigh and footsteps pace away from her room. Leaning against it for a moment, Heather frowned at her temper again. Snapping off at the only person here -Aside of the maid- that seemed to even remotely care about her was not a good way to do things.

With a groan, she turned and walked to her bed, falling down face-first onto it so she could smother the second groan of frustration that slipped past her lips. "I am such a moron."

* * *

Morning dawned overcast with clouds that threatened rain, making Heather's already bad mood worse as she stared out one of the windows in the hallway that pointed to the courtyard built into the caves. Frowning at the sky, she plucked at the breeches the maid _-Nimphel-_ had set out for her that morning. For whatever reason, the woman seemed to have taken it upon herself to take care of her, even after her initial orders from the King were done.

Not that Heather could complain about it, with Legolas giving her radio silence after last night, she didn't have anyone to talk to or even spend time with in the closed-in halls of the King's home. After all that time out in the open air city of her home, she couldn't quite adjust to the stone walls and floor.

Stepping out onto the mossy ground of the garden, Heather let her bare toes wiggle in the cool greenery, a small smile tugging her lips with her eyes closed. She could almost imagine she was back home if it weren't for the echoing voices coming from the doorway leading back into the caves behind her. Tipping her head back, she felt a fleeting warmth from the sun as it peered out from a break in the clouds overhead before vanishing once more.

 _'Home.'_ The thought alone gave her pause. For the first time, when that thought came to mind, it didn't bring images of cars and roads, her old apartment, not even the thought of her old friends back from where she came from. Instead it brought forth images of open-air buildings, trees and a river cutting through the valley of Rivendell. Even the image of her new Ada floated behind her closed eyes for a moment.

Opening her eyes, Heather marveled at the sense of peace that settled over her at the mere thought of Rivendell and her new family. No urgency to find a way back to her old world picked at her consciousness either. For the first time, she felt at complete and utter peace with where she was and who she was now.

"You do not have any reason to be here."

 _'Well there goes my peaceful moment.'_ Heather grimaced inwardly and turned to face Thranduil reluctantly, eyeing him for a moment then tipped her head to the side thoughtfully. "I have every reason to believe this is a open garden." She murmured, watching as he raised one dark eyebrow before turning to walk along the narrow path winding around the small area. "This garden is reserved for those of the royal family."

"Well then, I'll leave before my _nothingness_ somehow ruins the plants." Heather sniffed and turned to go. Inwardly seething at the elf's audacity even at a time like this. Just as she reached the doorway, he stopped her. "Your temper will get you into trouble one day, elfling."

"I wouldn't have a temper if people wouldn't constantly test it." She tossed over her shoulder then disappeared into the hallway, heading in a random direction just to get away from the irritation that called himself _'King'._

Keeping silent, Thanduil watched her leave and allowed himself a rare smile before turning to face the plants scattered around the garden once more. It would seem she had judged him correctly and replied in kind. _'Clever.'_ He thought with some measure of amusement, a hand reaching out to trail over the leaves of a small tree. _'Very clever.'_

* * *

Muttering under her breath, Heather made her way through the hallways back towards her room, already mentally going over the conversation -if you could call it that!- between herself and Thranduil, thinking of all the different things she could have said, or should have rather.

 **"Damn!"** Slamming her fist into her hand, she growled at an innocent carving she passed by, silently glad that no one else happened to be going down the same hallway she was in. Last thing she needed was the Elves in the King's halls start talking about how unbalanced she was. Grimacing again, she shook her head and turned down another hall, determined to find her room without help this time only to find herself in a very unfamiliar place.

Not even one thing looked remotely familiar, in fact... She paused in her walk and frowned around her in confusion. It looked like she was heading farther down into the mountain rather than heading up. With a soft groan, she turned around to head back the way she came. "I'll never find out how to get around this place."

"Then perhaps you should ask for help." Legolas stepped out from around a corner, offering her a small smile when Heather looked up at him in surprise. "I noticed you walk past the hallway leading to your room again and decided to follow." He added, correctly guessing the unasked question she had.

"Oh, right." Flushing in embarrassment, Heather tugged on a lock of her hair nervously, glancing away from him towards the same carving she had growled at earlier. "Um... Listen."

Moving to stand in front of her, Legolas waited quietly for Heather to work through what she wanted to say before she looked up at him, a sad frown on her lips. "Sorry about what I said last night."

Chuckling lightly, he motioned her to follow him and began walking, listening to her fall into step beside him before he answered. "I do not blame you. I should have known to keep quiet about such things until your temper had cooled." He teased, earning a weak chuckle and shove from Heather as they turned down the correct hallway.

"However." He added, stopping outside of her door and turning to look back down at her. "I stand by what I said."

"I know..." Biting her lip, Heather looked down at her bare feet with a small sigh. **"I just... He pisses me off so much."** She growled, making him twitch in surprise at the venom in her voice. "I know he's your father, Legolas, but that is as far as I'm able to understand him!" Looking back up, she locked eyes with the elf in front of her and frowned.

 **"He has no idea how to speak normally with anyone, backhanded comments, underhanded conversations, I mean..."** Trailing off, she took a deep breath to calm down again before continuing. **"If he can't even put the smallest effort into being moderately polite, I can't promise I will either."**

Reaching out, Legolas rested a hand on her head, ruffling her hair in a teasing manner with a wry smile. "I understand. Do me the favor of trying to keep your temper when around him?" He asked after she swatted his hand away and scowled up at him.

"Alright, I'll try." Heather muttered mulishly, earning another wry smile from him. "Thank you, _mellon nin_." He smiled and held out an arm to her. "Instead of hiding in your room today, accompany me to the archery grounds. I find myself with many requests to compete and would like to hear your opinion on them."

Raising an eyebrow, she rolled her eyes and linked her arm with his, allowing Legolas to lead her away from her room and down another hallway once more. "I can't shoot a bow to save my life, Legolas. How do you expect me to critique other's on their technique?"

Glancing up, she spotted a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that she wasn't sure she liked while he spoke. "Your opinion on the elf them self will suffice."

"Legs..."

"Worry not, they are all in the patrol and can take harsh words." He added, making Heather heave a small sigh and shake her head. "Fine, but if I get into trouble, you're going down with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Stepping out into the sunlight, Heather squinted at the surprising amount of light and raised a hand up to shield her eyes before glancing up. "Oh, the clouds cleared away." She murmured, studying the blue sky above with a small smile on her face. She loved the rain, but an overcast sky without rain as one of the things she hated most. Humming under her breath, she ignored Legolas's curious glance and let him lead her down a set of stairs and into a wide open area cleared of trees, the sounds of conversation rising up to meet them the closer they got.

Turning around the corner, she got her first glimpse of the archery grounds, eyes widening at the sight of thirty or so elves all shooting bows at targets at what looked like the distance of a football field away with perfect aim. **"How the hell are they doing that?"** She gasped, watching as the archer closest to them reloaded his bow and shot at his target again, splitting the previous arrow sitting in it in half.

Legolas studied her for a moment before shaking his head in amusement. "This is merely the training pitch for those first joining the patrol, Heather." He explained, leading her father away, her head craning around to watch the same elf split another arrow in half before he disappeared behind a large wall of bows as they walked around it. "Here is where I train." Turning around, Heather gaped at the sight in front of her.

Twenty elves, split into pairs, were training much like the others on the other side of the wall. However what they considered to be training... Looked like something she would only see in a movie.

One elf would pluck a small clay disk from a basket beside them on the ground, the other elf holding the bow would tell him to throw and then toss it -Toss? They launched it!- high up into the air. The archer would then shoot an arrow through the ring and into the tree behind it. Already the elf closest to them had what looked like fifty arrows pinned to the tree with rings hanging off of the shafts.

"Wha-How..." She stammered, missing the amused looks Legolas gave her as they walked past the archers shooting towards the far end of the pitch. "Please do not tell me you can do that!" She finally demanded, waving a hand at the amazing display and turning to face the elf with her with something akin to irritation mixed with awe on her face. Biting back a laugh, he simply nodded, enjoying the look of horror that took over her expression.

"I've trained to shoot from a young age." He explained, picking up a spare bow and testing its string idly while he spoke. "It is more than easy now." He added, seeing her mouth open and close silently a few times. A faint pink tinged the tips of her ears as she narrowed her eyes at him. "' _More than easy'_ hmph, show-off." Folding her arms, she turned away from Legolas, making him chuckle quietly and return to examining the bow.

"Legolas!" A male voice called out, making the both of them turn towards it and spy another male elf jog up to them, a wide smile on his face as he clasped arms with Legolas in greeting. "How are you _mellon nin_? I have heard nothing of you ever since you left with _Estel..."_ He trailed off, eyes drifting over to where Heather stood slightly behind Legolas, her head tipped to the side curiously while they spoke.

"Ah, I'yeste, this is Heather." Legolas introduced them after a lull in the conversation, watching Heather smile nervously at the elf. I'yeste offered a bow to her, amusement dancing in his gaze when he spotted the pink coloring the tips of her ears. "A pleasure to meet you."

"I'yeste... That means _'The First'_ doesn't it?" Heather asked suddenly, her curious nature appearing out of seemingly nowhere as she eyed the elf again, this time with a small smile tugging her lips.

He grimaced with good humor and nodded his head. "My _Ada..._ Was not very..." He cast about for a proper word, a hand waving in the air beside him. "Imaginative." He finished with a small grin in her direction, earning another smile from her. "I am the eldest of three, and they both have much more interesting names than I do." He added, making her smile grow wider at that.

"Now then!" He said suddenly, turning to Legolas and clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Have you finally come to accept my challenge?" He asked, eyeing the elf prince closely. "I will not take no for an answer."

"I'm here, am I not?" Legolas tossed back, smiling at his longtime friend before turning to Heather and gesturing to the basket of clay rings on the ground. "Will you keep score?"

Blinking up at Legolas, Heather raised an eyebrow at his question. "Legolas, you know as well as I do that I'm not nearly strong enough to throw those like the others are." She waved a hand at the other elves still tossing the rings into the air behind them. "It would be... Too easy." She added with a faint look of disgust on her face at his obvious prowess, only making him grin in the process.

"Then we will compensate." I'yeste peered over Legolas's shoulder at her with a grin. "Throw two at a time, in a range of directions." He added when she simply gave him a confused look. Heather frowned at that and cast a wary eye around the area. "Knowing my luck, I'd toss one in a random direction and you'd both end up shooting either each other or someone else." She added, seeing Legolas's dawning look of comprehension.

"He knows I have horrible luck." She added, nodding at Legolas who was now deep in thought and staring around the archery range. "I don't think anyone has as much trouble as I do when it comes to something _'simple'."_

I'yeste frowned at her then looked over at Legolas who nodded in agreement with what she said. "It is unfortunately true." To which the other elf turned to study Heather with a new curiosity. "I see."

"Clear out the spare ground." He finally said, turning to look at Legolas again, who stared at him in thought before nodding and walking off towards the way they came from, leaving Heather alone with the other elf. Prickling with embarrassment, Heather turned to the basket and crouched down to study the disks closely. Picking one up, she eyed the small thing in her hand curiously, no bigger than two inches wide, it resembled a washer from where she came from. Only instead of metal, it was made of hard clay, the open circle in the center only a inch wide, meaning the elf shooting it had barely a millimeter of space between the widest point of the arrowhead and the edge of the opening to shoot through.

"Hmph, easy my foot." She muttered, momentarily forgetting she had company as she tossed it back into the basket and settled down on the ground to wait for Legolas to return, eyes drifting over to the other archers as they continued to shoot arrows through the rings and pin them to trees. "Impossible."

"To one who has not trained, perhaps." I'yeste answered, settling down on the ground beside her, making Heather jump slightly at the unexpected voice. "Tell me, have you shot with a bow?"

Ducking her head down, Heather picked at the grass idly, trying to hide the heat that bloomed in her cheeks at the innocent question. "Erm... No."

"Do you perhaps favor the sword instead?" He asked this time with interest, watching as she shifted under his gaze for a moment then: "No."

Now he frowned in confusion. "Then tell me how you helped Legolas rid yourselves of the Orc scout you met in the mountain pass?" Heather jerked her head up and blinked at him with wide eyes. "How on Earth do you know about that?"

He raised an eyebrow at her reaction and plucked a blade of grass himself, twisting it between two slender fingers while he studied her quietly before replying. "I was not aware it was meant to be kept secret. The ones who served the evening meal you shared with the King and Legolas heard him say thus before they were too far to hear your answer."

At that, Heather dropped her head into her hands and let out a low groan. "It was pure luck." She finally mumbled from behind her hands, making him raise an eyebrow again. "Then tell me how you can have such luck when you just said you have none at all."

Gritting her teeth, she scowled at the grass and huffed out a sigh. "Look, I don't fight. I just know how to... Protect myself I suppose." With a shrug, she tipped her head back and faced the sunlight streaming down between the leaves overhead, eyes closed. "My brother taught me how to defend myself and it was just natural." She added when he didn't say anything, a small smile making it's way onto her face.

"I've cleared the spare range." Legolas stated, making the both of them jump with his sudden arrival out of what seemed to be thin air. Looking around, Heather blinked up at Legolas then got to her feet. "Well then, let's go." Without a backwards glance, she moved towards the first range she and Legolas passed on their way there, silently hoping she was right in assuming it was the spare range they were talking about.

Getting to his feet as well, I'yeste gathered the basket of rings and shouldered the bow he chose for the competition and fell into step beside Legolas. "She still did not tell me how she did it." He finally stated, making the elf beside him send a curious glance in his direction. "How she stopped the Orc." He added to clarify his statement, watching his friend's expression dawn with understanding before closing itself off. "It is something she does not enjoy speaking about." He cautioned his friend, eyes drifting towards the direction she walked ahead of them.

Staying silent a moment longer, I'yeste finally nodded and clapped a hand on Legolas's shoulder, a small smile on his face. "Of course, _Mellon nin_. I will not breathe another word."

Sending a smile over at his friend, Legolas thanked him silently with a nod before shouldering his own bow and picking up the pace to catch up with Heather ahead of them.

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	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

 **Now I know it's taken me a while to type this up, and it's kind of a letdown in the fact of well... Most things, I needed to type this up for the setup coming in the next chapter.**

 **-LiteraryMelody is gonna love it-**

 **Anyway, I hope you all love it, and I wanted to welcome new followers! Thank you for reading and liking the story enough to click the button!**

 **For those of you that reviewed and I didn't reply to: I'm sorry, I did read them, but I couldn't reply because I've been working like a dog all week. It's hard to reply in detail to reviews on a phone and this is the first time in about five days that I've been able to get on my computer and finish this chapter, I started the first half over a week ago, actually, two days after I posted the last chapter.**

 **So I do apologize, and just know I did read them and love your thoughts on this! Some of you really do make some good points and I plan on getting to those later on. Remember, this is a tenth walker story, and we haven't even gotten to the point where she meets Bilbo when he shows up in Rivendell after his birthday. It's a long-drawn out story I've been plotting for about seven months before I started writing. So please, patience!**

 **Anyhow, I just wanted to let you all know I got your love and I am still alive, just not able to get on my computer as often as I'd like to write.**

 **Now then, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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 **(REMINDER: Words in bold are said in English.)**

* * *

The sun had begun to set in the sky before Legolas and I'yeste finished their competition, with Legolas -Obviously- as the winner. The three of them made their way back to the King's halls, Heather in irritated awe of their skills and rather reluctantly complimenting the both of them much to their amusement.

"I can't believe how the two of you ever got to be that good." She grumbled, arms folded across her chest as she stared resolutely ahead in order to avoid their sly grins she knew they pointed at her more often than not.

"If it bothers you so much, perhaps you should learn to shoot the bow yourself." I'yeste offered, watching her twitch slightly at the thought. "I dunno..." She murmured softly, blue eyes flicking to glance up at him then away once more. "I highly doubt I can even draw the bow much less aim with one."

"You will never know until you try, Heather." Legolas added, a hand patting her head condescendingly and further irritating the elleth. "Maybe I don't want to try, I'm happy being a nothing." She muttered, making the prince cough and look away and her newest friend raise a quizzical eyebrow at her choice of words.

"What do you-"

"Perhaps you will have a different answer when you wake in the morning." Legolas quickly said, cutting off I'yeste's obvious question. Catching sight of her blue eyes glancing up at him quickly before she picked up the pace. "Maybe, but I wouldn't recommend holding your breath, Legolas. I'm a walking disaster."

Shaking his head, I'yeste stopped just inside the doorway leading into the halls and turned to Legolas with a bemused smile. "Stubborn one, isn't she?"

Biting back a sigh, he nodded in agreement. "More than you realize." He sent a glance in the direction Heather disappeared in with a thoughtful frown. "However, I have a firm belief if she were to be trained properly... She may surpass many who have all their lives."

The other elf blinked and shot a glance in the direction she went in as well, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. "I will not pretend to know her as well as you, mellon nin. However I am inclined to agree with you on that."

Sharing a look, the both of them grinned lightly. "Persuasion is a strong point for you, I'yeste." Legolas stated conversationally, as if he were merely commenting on his choice of clothing for the day.

"Ah, but perhaps she would be willing to listen to you more." I'yeste replied in a laid-back manner, his hands finding themselves in his pockets while they spoke.

"Perhaps. Every day is a new one." With another shared grin, the two of them parted ways, I'yeste heading to the barracks corridor, Legolas trailing after Heather, knowing full well she may have gotten herself lost once again.

* * *

Heather once again found herself in an unfamiliar hallway surrounded with carvings and various tapestry depicting different views of the surrounding woods in each season.

Pausing in front of one where the tree's leaves had changed from green to different shades of red and orange, she tipped her head slightly to the right, studying it closely before noticing whoever had made it had cleverly positioned the leaves to form different animals of the forest.

For instance one tree set off to the right, it's branches and leaves winding together to create the image of what looked like a stag with an impressive rack of antlers gracing it's head.

Then there in the front and center a red and orange bush made the vague image of a fox peering from between the leaves. "Incredible." She whispered, hesitantly reaching out to touch the cloth but stopping her fingers an inch away from it and dropping her hand back down to her side.

Still entranced with the beautiful imagery before her, she failed to notice someone had stepped into the hallway behind her, eyes narrowed as they watched her move from one tapestry to the next, bending close to study it like she had the other.

Thranduil kept silent, watching the strange, temperamental elleth examine the tapestries his wife had made hundreds of years ago. After initially spotting Heather in his own private hallways, he had been angry, assuming her to be spying on him somehow.

However after hearing her appreciation for the art in front of her gave him pause. He could only guess how she managed to find her way here, after his son had reluctantly admitted to him she had problems with directions in the hallways of his home this morning. Which would explain exactly how he found her in the private garden he had built for his wife and son not long after Legolas had been born.

However, while he truly found her anger amusing and her habit of getting lost entertaining. Nothing about how she was standing in his private hallway was remotely funny. Breaking free of his thoughts, Thranduil strode forward and stopped a few steps behind Heather then cleared his throat to gain her attention.

Jumping at the sudden sound from behind, Heather whirled around to come face to face with, surprise, the King himself. She had just wondered how he had such beautiful art in his home when he seemed so... Well, stiff. Uptight. Something along those lines but those thoughts shuddered to a halt after seeing him standing in front of her with a look of what he could only assume to be cold anger.

"Explain to me why you have found yourself within my private hall." He stated simply, his voice carefully devoid of any emotion that only further made Heather wish she had waited for Legolas before wandering off on her own.

"Erm..." She mumbled, shifting nervously in front of him. Her own short temper curiously absent now that she found herself in a place where she really had no right to have it. After all, this was his own home, this hall actually his private property so to speak. "I got lost."

Raising an eyebrow, Thranduil stared down his nose at her, obviously judging her once again unfit to even be alive in his presence much less speaking to him. "Then I would suggest you loose yourself elsewhere before you find I am much less than hospitable than I am now."

Now that did it, that last statement of his snapping her temper back to the front as she shot a narrow-eyed look up at Thranduil. **"As if you already aren't."** She muttered in English, only making the King narrow his own eyes at her.

"I clearly remember saying upon your arrival to speak in a language all can understand." He stated coldly, making Heather seethe at the imperious tone of his voice. "Well, considering your son understands me when I speak my native language, I thought it wouldn't be such a problem."

That gave Thanduil enough reason to pause this time, his son could speak her strange language? His lips turned into an imperceptible frown as he stared down at Heather. Legolas never said he learned her language, not even a small comment of it. Deciding to put that information to the side for later, he returned his full attention back to Heather once more.

"Be that as it may, as King and ruler of these halls, I will not have you ignore what I have told you." Brushing his hair back in what Heather considered to be a diva action, he turned away from her and studied the tapestry depicting winter in Greenwood quietly. "Leave."

Knowing full well she really had no rights to argue, Heather bit back the urge to growl at the infuriating elf and stomped off past him, heading back down the hallway in the direction she hoped would take her back to her room.

Once her storming feet faded from even his ears, Thranduil granted the tapestry with a fleeting smile, amusement sparked in his eyes before dying away once more to leave them cold and calculating. Turning away from the snowy scene, he made his way farther down the hall towards his room, silently wondering just how his wife would have taken the elleth.

She would have been more amused than anything, he begrudgingly admitted to himself as he stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. She'd have found the elleth's temper amusing and his reaction to her even more so if she had been there to see it.

Somehow, knowing how his wife would have acted only further rose his irritation towards the elleth. While he found her temper amusing himself, he wouldn't have anyone treat him like that, no matter how much they entertained him.

In the morning he would have to post a guard at the end of his hall to ensure the lost little elleth didn't find herself wandering into his rooms sometime in the middle of the night in a vain attempt at finding the bathing room. The last thing he wanted was to reprimand her while wearing his nightclothes.

* * *

Pausing at a familiar break in the hall, Heather eyed the two passageways critically before remembering Legolas guiding her down the left hallway instead of the right. Silently breathing out a thank-you to the powers that be for giving her even that small bit of memory, she turned left and walked down the hall, eyes scanning the walls before spotting a familiar carving depicting a deer that she remembered sitting across from her bedroom door.

"Finally!" Hissing under her breath, she broke into a run and dove into her room, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her after she made it inside. Leaning her back against the wood, she closed her eyes and slid down to sit on the ground in front of it, her hands coming up to rub her face furiously in embarrassment.

How the hell had she managed to find her way into the King's own hall? Seriously! That was like wandering into the Queen of England's office and saying _'oops, must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque'_ and trying to walk out without being tossed into jail.

A small smile quirked at the corner of her mouth at the sight of Thranduil's expression after she spun around to see him for the first time. His look of anger was hilarious for some reason. _'No it wasn't, it was horrible.'_ Her lips quirked upwards anyway as if in defiance to her own thoughts.

"God, I am unstable." She sighed out, dropping her hands and staring across her room at the desk placed against the wall across from her. "Apparently being an elf doesn't help with one's sense of direction." She added to the silent room as if to confirm her own thoughts on the matter and nodded to herself.

"Yep, I've lost it."

A soft knock on the door behind her nearly made Heather jump out of her skin. Muttering a soft curse, she pressed a hand over her heart and glared at the door she now stood in front of after jumping to her feet like she'd been electrocuted.

"Who is it?"

Silence answered her question only making her glare harder at the wood. "I said who is it?"

Still silence answered her as she waited. Heaving out a soft sigh, Heather dropped her hand from her chest and moved to open the door hesitantly, cracking it open the slightest bit to peer out into the hallway. The empty hallway actually, apparently whoever knocked on her door vanished into thin air after they had.

Opening the door further, she frowned and moved to step out into the hallway only to have her toe catch on something and send it sliding across the floor and hit the wall across from her. Glancing down, Heather gaped at the wooden box laying there seemingly harmless.

Staring around wildly, she tried to see anyone that might be staring or waiting for her to pick it up and bent down to lift the box up into her arms. With another weary glance around, she ducked back into her room and locked the door once more before turning and laying the box on her bed to study it.

It was plain wood, nothing carved or written on it anywhere, the top part fitting onto the bottom snugly so it almost seemed to be one piece instead of two. Kneeling on the floor beside her bed, she ran a hand lightly across the lid, her fingers trailing along the perfectly smooth wood. Not a single blemish or nick in the lacquered surface for them to catch.

Not that she could find anything to complain about the box, it was beautiful despite how plain it was. But who the hell would just leave this laying on the ground outside of her door? Sending another quick look towards said door, she eyed it like she expected the poor thing to tell her who did it then turned back to the box.

Hesitantly reaching out, she hooked her fingers on the edges of the lid and slowly lifted it up away from the bottom, marveling at how easy it came off despite how closely fitted the two pieces were before putting it to the side.

Inside was a large bolt of green cloth, obviously wrapped around something. It wasn't the cloth that really caught her eye however, it was the shape under it. Something she had seen quite a few times since arriving in Arda, something she never dreamed of having, let alone hold.

Reaching out with trembling hands, she pulled the cloth away from a beautifully carved bow, the intricate leaves polished to a perfect shine that settled against a red background of dyed wood. A silent gasp left her lips as she eyed the artwork laying innocently against a bed of green cloth. It was gorgeous, more so than anything she had seen before.

Fingers still trembling, Heather stroked the wood with a reverent air before wrapping them around the middle and lifting the bow up out of it's box, eyes scanning the perfect art carved into it with awe. "Beautiful..."

Despite her obvious adoration for the bow in her hands, Heather frowned down at the wood. No matter how much she loved it, no matter how beautiful it was...

Why was it here in her bedroom? Why was it delivered to her in the first place?

She held no doubt that whoever had done it was mistaken for what room it should have went to. In the last few days of being here, she failed to see anyone else staying in this hallway, none of the other rooms were occupied. So that left the questions of who and why did they give this to her?

Perhaps it was a trick? No, Elves may not be very welcome to someone new and strange, but they weren't vindictive like humans from her old world. Crossing out that idea immediately, she stood up and put two fingers to the string and pulled it back like she had seen Legolas do earlier that day when testing the training bow he picked out.

To her amazement, it pulled easily, almost as if it was moving on it's own with the slightest pressure from her fingers. Letting it fall back, she listened to the soft twang it made and smiled softly. Even the sounds it made was beautiful, like a harp string almost.

Turning the bow in her hands, Heather frowned again in thought. To say she was confused would be an understatement. Completely and utterly baffled would be more on target.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure out who gave it to her or why.. That was until she remembered that afternoon with Legolas and I'yeste.

"Those jerks." She muttered, an unwilling smile tugging at her lips as she glared halfheartedly down at the bow in her hands. Now that she thought about their instance on her learning to shoot, it was painfully obvious one of them gave it to her in an attempt to make her want to learn. With a bow of her own, she'd have to learn to shoot it or let the poor thing sit in some corner gathering dust, and anyone who knew her even the slightest bit would know she'd rather go through rigorous training than let something like that happen to something so beautifully crafted.

"Fine, I'll learn. **Assholes."** With a shake of her head, she moved to put the bow back into it's box and carefully covered it back up before replacing the lid. She'd make them pay for this later, for now she had to get dressed for another dinner with an irritating King and his son that had no idea what boundaries were apparently.

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, she picked up the box carefully and set it aside on the desk in her room, eyeing it thoughtfully for a moment then turning away to get ready for dinner, already silently dreading just how that will go over after her more recent run-in with the 'King'.

* * *

Morning dawned bright and sunny the next day, however without a window, Heather was unprepared for the blinding hate rays that came from the glowing sphere of evil in the sky when she stepped outside with Legolas and I'yeste.

Muttering under her breath, much to the amusement to both ellon with her, she shielded her eyes and glared at the sun, box tucked securely under her arm.

She had debated on just slinging it over her back like the other elves did when carrying their bows, but she wanted to watch their faces and see if she could tell which one of them exactly had the bright idea to send it to her. So, ignoring their curious looks, she simply waved for them to lead the way and followed them out.

Turning to look up at Legolas, she scowled at his amused expression before he quickly re-arranged it to look sympathetic and looked away nonchalantly. Rolling her eyes, Heather shifted the box higher under her arm and started walking towards the training grounds where they had declared she'd train.

Honestly, she wondered if she'd even be able to shoot, let alone use the bow properly on anything other than a target, the mere idea made her uncomfortable and shove back the memory of the orc scout several times until she forced herself to think about other things, like the hate ball in the sky attempting to burn out her retinas. Blinking her eyes, she squinted in the bright light at the training area ahead of them, thankfully under a full canopy of trees that blocked the hate rays from the archer's sight.

Stepping under the shadow, she let out a small sigh of relief and rubbed her eyes, idly listening to Legolas and I'yeste talk to each other in low tones while they set up the target she would be aiming at. At the moment, they were debating on just how close she should fire before they determined how much 'natural talent' she held and moved the target farther away.

 _'Natural talent.'_ Heather scoffed mentally, shaking her head as she knelt down and lifted the lid from her box, completely missing the fact her companions had crept forward to see what was inside as she lifted the covering cloth away to reveal the bow.

A low whistle brought her from her thoughts and gaze turned up towards I'yeste as he ran his eyes along the handle of the bow with what she thought to be reverence. "This is an amazing piece of work... May I?" He asked, gesturing to it while glancing over at Heather hopefully.

Raising an eyebrow, she nodded slowly and watched as he picked it up from it's wrappings and held it aloft, fingers running along the wood gently as he studied it at eye level. Shifting his feet slightly, he held it out and placed his fingers to the string and pulled, easily tugging it back to his shoulder before letting it go with an approving look. "This is an amazing bow, Heather. It will serve you well should you learn to use it."

Handing it back to her, he watched Heather turn it over in her hands with a thoughtful look on her face. "Yes, what I can't figure out is-"

"How did you get that bow?" Legolas's question cut off what she was going to say, making the both of them look over at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked, brows furrowing this time as she stared at him, his eyes locked on the bow in her hands. "Didn't one of you give it to me?"

"No." I'yeste shook his head along with Legolas who had remained silent. "We had assumed you found it in the armory and put it in a box to keep it safe. Legolas did say you had strange habits..." That earned him a poke to the back of the head from said elf as he stepped around and moved closer to Heather, a strange look in his eyes as he stared at the bow in her hands still.

"I..." He frowned and held out a hand, silently asking to hold it and curling his fingers around the wood when she handed it over to him. "It seems familiar, but I do not recognize the design carved in." He murmured finally, running his fingers along the wood himself as he attempted to understand what it was that he couldn't remember.

"Well... Whoever left it outside of my room must have known you wanted to train me or they wouldn't have left it there." Heather shrugged one shoulder and glanced over at I'yeste curiously.

"Perhaps one of the patrol heard of our plans and offered help in their own way." I'yeste offered, watching Legolas hand the bow back to Heather thoughtfully. "Perhaps." With a small frown, he turned and went to retrieve a quiver of arrows for Heather to use.

Sensing the curiosity of her bow had passed, she knelt back down and fitted the lid back onto the box and moved it aside before standing back up and facing Legolas as he handed the quiver over. "You may place it on your shoulder or side, whichever feels natural." He explained, showing how the belt attached could change it's length depending on where it was placed on the body then helped Heather strap it over her shoulder.

"For now we will leave it here, many who place their quiver on the hip spill their arrows when they start out." He explained farther, tightening the strap for her before stepping back and studying her with a critical eye then nodding and turning to point at the target standing twenty feet away from them. "Do not attempt to aim, simply put an arrow to the string and shoot."

"Hu- Wha?" Heather stuttered, thrown off with her sudden introduction into shooting. She had expected several hours of stances and lessons as well as lectures explaining the nuances of using her bow. Turning to face Legolas, she blinked up at his unamused face in confusion. "You just want me to shoot, like... Right now?"

Staring down at her, Legolas stayed silent for a moment then nodded. "Yes, we will address any points you are weak on. Do what feels right." He added with a softer tone, his eyes twinkling with a small trace of amusement before he pulled it back and resumed his instructor expression.

Turning to face the target, Heather let out a small sigh and reached back to pull an arrow from her quiver, fingers trembling slightly as she fumbled to place it on the string right. Refusing to look up, she stared down, watching the end of the shaft slip off of the string a couple times before she finally managed to keep it on properly and straightened back up.

Staring down at the target, she frowned and brought up the bow, her other hand tugging back on the string, the shaft of the arrow resting on the back of her hand before I'yeste's hand came into view to correct her aiming and settled the arrow on the other side of the bow.

"Thanks." She muttered then turned back to the task. _'Don't aim, just shoot.'_ She reminded herself before closing her eyes and taking a slow breath to settle the twitching muscles in her arms then let the arrow go. A soft thrumming noise came from the bow, once again reminding her of a harp string as she opened her eyes expectantly.

Only to see the target untouched.

"Huh!" She frowned and let her hand drop back to her side as she stared around the area. "Where did it go?"

"Look up." Legolas's amused voice instantly made her hackles raise as she slowly tipped her head back and finally spotted her arrow, buried into the tree about twenty feet higher than the target. "Well damn."

"If you had been aiming, you may have just pierced through the target completely." I'yeste commented, head tipping to the side as he studied the arrow up there. "You have the power for an archer, your arms built up for the strain." He added when she tossed him a confused look, a smile hovering around his lips. "Legolas was right. You may be a natural archer, Heather."

Blinking, Heather looked down shyly and studied her bow silently, trying to ignore the way the tips of her ears burned in embarrassment. It wasn't very often she got compliments from anyone outside of her adopted family, Legolas didn't count as he was there to teach her the language.

"Thanks." She mumbled before spotting Legolas walking away and frowned for a moment. "What-" She cut her self off as she stared at him scale the tree up to her arrow and pull it from the wood before dropping back down to the ground below. "Oh."

Sharing a sheepish smile with I'yeste, she moved forward to meet him and held out her hand for the arrow with a small grin. "Thank you."

Legolas looked up from the arrow and stared at Heather for a moment, for a split second she swore she saw something akin to confusion in his gaze before it melted away back to the usual twinkle of humor as he handed it back to her. "Perhaps a farther target this time?"

"Uh... Yeah." Heather tipped her head to the side and watched him shift the target back farther, Idly wondering why he didn't call for I'yeste to help then brushed it off quickly after realizing he could move the target just fine on his own without any problems. "Ready, Heather?" He asked, moving back over to her and looking down at the bow once more. "Just as before, try to aim this time."

"Um, alright." Nodding, she shifted her feet slightly, trying to mimic the stance she saw the other archers using yesterday before settling the bow in front of her and taking aim at the little red circle now standing fifty feet away. Taking a breath, she let it out slowly and narrowed her eyes, training the tip of the arrow directly on the circle when her scientific mind decided to wake up and sleepily remind her of gravity before falling back asleep.

Blinking, she tipped the arrow up slightly, trying to judge the distance then let go, watching as the arrow flew up and... Dove directly back down into the earth no more than fifteen feet away. Gaping at the arrow, Heather soundlessly moved her lips, trying to come to terms with her spectacular fail.

Coming aware of the soft chuckle issuing from behind, she rounded on the offender and pointed the tip of her bow at their nose. "Alright, chuckles, explain exactly why my shot is _worse_ after I aimed?" Narrowing her eyes, she watched I'yeste nearly cross his own eyes as he stared at the bow. "Well?"

He swallowed and tossed a helpless look over at Legolas behind her, seeing no help there in the amused expression on his friend's face, he sighed and took a cautious step back. "It would seem you did not pull the bow back far enough when you attempted to aim." He managed to say, trying not to laugh the entire time.

"What? No, I had the string pulled back to my shoulder." She turned to Legolas with a frown. "Right?"

Clearing his throat, Legolas glanced away, unwilling to look at her as he shook his head slightly. "You pulled to your elbow and no farther."

Heaving a sigh, Heather plopped down on the grass and settled the bow on her lap, elbows resting on her knees as she glared at the arrow still sitting up in the grass just ahead of them. "Figures."

"Heather, it is only your second try." I'yeste tried to coax her back to her feet and received a scowl. "Only my second, and I've shown both times I am spectacular at failing."

"Try again, only pull the bow back to your shoulder then aim." He said carefully, watching her think it over then breathing a silent sigh of relief when she climbed back to her feet. "Fine, fine, fine..." Sighing, she settled back into place and shifted into position. Reaching back, she pulled out another arrow and put it to the string, carefully making sure to draw it back completely before aiming at the target, faintly recalling gravity a second before correcting and releasing the arrow.

Holding her breath, she watched it fly forward then dip down and bury itself directly into the ground in front of the target. "Did you see that! I almost made it!" She grinned and hugged her bow, missing the amused smiles being shared behind her back as she grinned at her arrow still shaking slightly.

"Now then, again." This time, she nodded happily and resumed the stance, more than ready to learn now she knew she could at least almost hit the target. Despite how much she didn't want to the day before, she looked forward to her training for the rest of the day. Drawing back the string, she caught I'yeste's stare and flashed him a quick smile before turning back to the task once more.

* * *

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	17. 100th Review Special! (No Plot)

**Ah! Silence is Golden finally reached 100 reviews! Thank you all so much! As a proper thank you (And slight apology for how long it took to post the most recent chapter) I have prepared this short chapter for you all to enjoy.**

 **The next goal is 150, and this time the 150th reviewer gets to decide who they want in it. (Not what happens, not yet haha) So, get to it!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

 **100th Review surprise**

 **Lessons by Elladan and Elrohir**

 _ **Lesson One: Concerning Orc**_

* * *

Leaning back against the tree behind her, Heather stared up through the leaves at the dappled sunlight peering through the shifting foliage and let herself relax. Legolas was busy showing up the archers in the training area, leaving her to wander about on her own... With nothing to do.

Letting out a small sigh, she peered down at the translation book on her lap and frowned slightly. Sure, she was concomitant enough to keep up conversation, but there were words from time to time that would trip her up and make Heather feel about an inch tall compared to whoever she spoke with.

Still lost in her thoughts, she failed to take notice of the twins that spotted her with identical grins on their faces. Of course, if she had seen, it was highly possible she'd have taken off running at the expressions they wore. Expressions that spoke of torment and embarrassment at their hands.

Sharing a look, the twins approached silently, careful to draw as close as possible to her before Heather noticed them. Moving to stand on either side of her, they effectively blocked off all paths for escape and settled down on the grass beside her. "You look troubled, sister." Elladan spoke up, jerking Heather from her thoughts and bringing a pair of blue eyes up to flick between the two of them. "Er... I guess?"

Fingering the book on her lap nervously, she watched the two of them share a look, silently debating on if she could escape in time or not. Without warning, two hands swooped down and captured her arms, tugging her to her feet and already pulling her away through the garden they were in. "Hey! I don't know what you two are planning, but I'm not in the mood!" She struggled against them, tossing a few helpless looks at any Elf they passed on the way to whatever destination the two had in mind only to receive amused looks in return. _'Fat lot of good you all are.'_

Giving up, she hung her head, defeated, as her brothers pulled her along the paths quickly without a word. Either they already had this planned or... A faint smile tugged at her lips at the thought of her brother, they shared a weird sibling bond not many could understand.

After a quick tour of the garden, they ended up in a pavilion of sorts, a single table settled in the center with three chairs set around it. "Sit, it's time for your lessons, sister." Elrohir prompted, pushing her shoulders down until she obediently plopped into one of the chairs, eyebrow raised while she watched the two of them walk around the table and sit across from her with matching grins.

"Lessons? I was under the impression Ada would be teaching me about Arda." Heather commented dryly, eyes drifting down to the table as they tugged out a single scroll and several blank sheets of paper to set in the center. Elladan waved a hand airly in front of them, head shaking side to side while he spoke. "Yes, Ada plans to teach you of Arda. We, however..." He shared a look with his twin and grinned again. "Will teach you about the things you need to avoid." Elrohir finished, turning to look at Heather's exasperated expression.

"What, like you two?"

"You wound us!" Elladan clutched his chest with an affronted look, she'd have felt guilty for what she said if it wasn't for the amused twinkle in his eyes. Elrohir shook his head and nudged his brother lightly in the ribs to get the conversation back on track. "Now then, to begin. We will tell you of the creatures known as Orc." Reaching out, he unrolled the scroll and pinned down the edges so it would stay open, several lines of Elvish were scribbled on it's surface, and if she guessed right by the faint ink smudges on the paper, it had been written not too long ago. Most likely by those two as they fussed over the paper until it lay right.

"Orc?" Interested, Heather leaned forward to squint at the neat elvish script curiously. "And what exactly are Orc?"

Missing the small frowns both brothers pointed at her, she tried to make out what was written before giving up with a small huff. Learning to speak Elvish was one thing, but learning to read and write it would be a whole other situation she wasn't sure she could handle right now. Leaning back, she sent a pointed look at the two ellon across from her, arms folded over her chest tightly. "Well?"

"Hmm... Yes, Orc are nasty, vile creatures." Elladan started, tapping the first written line on the paper, a twinkle in his eyes shining in a way Heather wasn't sure she liked. "Rumor has it they were like us-" He waved a hand at the three of them sitting around the table, but before Heather could ask anything, Elrohir jumped in. "They cannot stand too much sun and have no sense of mercy, killing everything they come across. Either to just kill, or..." He paused, a smirk hovering around his lips. "To eat."

"Eat!" Sitting upright in the chair, Heather cast a wary look around them, despite the small chuckles the other two let out. "Rest easy, Heather. No Orc ever made it into our valley and lived to tell about it." Elrohir calmed her, struggling to bite back the grin threatening when she looked back over at them with a frown. "Why on earth would they eat one of us? That's... Cannibalism!"

"Ah!' Elladan crowed, delighted at her response as he leaned forward on his elbows eagerly. "But they do! They would even eat one of their own kind of hungry enough."

"That's disgusting!" Jumping up, Heather went to leave only to have both of them already blocking the exit. "Move, I'm done with this whole situation. I'll end up having nightmares for the next three years."

Shaking their heads in tandem, they took her arms and coaxed her back to her seat before settling back down themselves. "We aren't finished, Sister. There are many things you need to learn before you can leave."

"Yes, for instance, if they catch a female, they wouldn't be above having a little-" This time Elladan cut off his brother, placing a hand over his mouth once he spotted the horrified expression on Heather's face. Interestingly enough, her skin tone seemed to have taken a light green tint the more was spoken. "That... Is another story." He eased, shooting a sharp look at his twin and holding it until the other one nodded reluctantly. Taking his hand away, he pulled a blank paper over to him and began sketching on it's surface while Elrohir spoke.

"They carry blades and arrows coated with a poison that can and will bring down a full grown man within a day. Within two, he dies." He intoned, attempting to adopt their Father's tone of voice saved for lectures, and he had plenty of practice between him and his brother. "If ever struck by either one, Athelas, or in the Common Tongue, Kingsfoil, will help slow the spread, but not stop or cure it."

Now Heather lifted her eyebrow again, a small huff of exasperation slipping past her lips. "Is this a lesson on what to avoid or how to heal?" Settling back in her chair, she watched the twin drawing with some interest until the other one caught her attention again. "It is best you know this." He murmured, a sparkle of worry in his eyes before it faded away to be replaced by the usual mischievous look that was always there.

"Now then, onto habits..." Elladan slid another piece of paper towards her, this one even more gruesome than the last. "They do not bathe, that we know of, so if you can't hear them coming, you'll smell them." He nodded sagely along with his twin who looked up just long enough to agree silently. "They use Black Speech, and very few understand it. It's also not acceptable to learn for no reason." He added hastily, seeing the familiar twinkle of interest in Heather's eyes at the mention of another language. "Learn to speak Common before you learn Black Speech."

Huffing out a sigh, Heather crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, blue eyes drifting away from the twins to study the surroundings in utter boredom. Elladan's and Elrohir's voices blending in with the background noise of animals and bugs.

"-ther." Idly she wondered if she could convince her Father to let her explore the valley by herself for once without someone with her. Granted they were rather quiet, but still, she couldn't simply relax and enjoy herself whenever there was a shadow tailing her.

"-ather..?" Pursing her lips, she tipped her head back and closed her eyes, letting her thoughts wander vaguely over the past few days. Legolas had gone into rather intensive training in her Elvish learning, insisting she begin writing as well, that alone was a whole other situation. She couldn't spell the elvish word phonically like she wanted, oh no, she had to learn a whole new alphabet.

"Heather!" Elrohir's voice cut through her thoughts, bringing Heather back to the present. Jerking upright, she blinked at her brother's faces blankly, noting for the first time they seemed aggravated. "Um... Yes?"

"Did you hear anything I just said?" Elladan asked, a hand coming up to rub his forehead in a show of irritation.

"... If I said yes, would that stop you from lecturing me?"

For a moment she swore she saw a vein tick in his forehead before he pinned her with a look. "No."

"Then, no I wasn't listening." Raising her hands up in a shrug, she folded them back on the table and leaned on her elbows with a frown. "Why do I need to know any of this anyway? Ada is going to teach me all I need to know about this place."

"Because we want you prepared!" One twin sighed, leaning forward himself and running a hand through his hair. "If you ever have to leave home, we want to be sure you know what to expect." Reaching over, he covered one of her hands with his, an earnest expression spreading across his face. "We know you thought we were only trying to tease you, and..." He shared a look with Elladan then glanced back at her. "We were a little at first, but truthfully, we want you safe, Heather."

Blinking slightly, Heather felt her cheeks heat with familiar warmth as she turned her hand over and clasped his hand. "I know, I am sorry for not paying attention."

"Elladan reached over and patted her head lightly, a small grin pulling at his lips. "Our little sister."

Hearing that, Heather blinked back the tears stinging her eyes, vague memories of her older brother from her old life floating to the surface. Valar, how she missed him!

"Thank you."

"Anything for you, lye Seler'." (Our sister)

Under the gentle breeze and singing birds, a new, stronger bond was formed between Heather and her brothers that day.

...

Of course it was nearly ruined later by the twins placing several pond frogs in her bed late that night.


	18. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **So... It took way longer than I thought it would to type this up. I really couldn't get into the mindset needed for this specific chapter until I scrolled through some of my music and found an old gem I had saved away and forgot about.**

 **To put it simply, it is a compilation of all my favorite Rammstein songs. And lets just say they all seriously set the mood for my writing. Now then, this is... Not exactly dark, but it isn't happy either. No light-hearted comments or jokes. No one-liners or any of the usual you've come to expect from Heather. So yes, the tone of the story shifts in this chapter. If you don't like the direction things take, sorry, it's a necessary evil for the future plot.**

 **Now then, once more I feel the need to apologize for my lack of responses to reviews... Like I said, I've been rather busy with typing up the new chapter, I found myself forgetting a lot of things... Like buying food for one, ooch that was a bit of a downer when I went to get a snack and found nothing!**

 **So I do apologize for how long this took, I really am sorry for the wait and the lack of replies. I do hope the detail and interesting twists will help make up for it all!**

 **Please tell me what you think.**

 **Anyhow, that's all I needed to say.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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 **(REMINDER: Words in bold are said in English.)**

* * *

 _'Thunk'_

Arrow sinking in it's mark.

 _'Thunk'_

Shaft quivering ever so slightly once it came to a stop. Heather frowned, arm dropping to her side while still clutching her bow. Everything seemed distant almost, fuzzy even around the edges. Glancing around the empty area, she huffed through her nose and shook her head. It wasn't like someone slipped her anything. Hell, she doubted this world had anything harder than some form of painkiller. Shrugging her shoulders, she plucked another arrow from her quiver and notched it into her bow before drawing it and bringing both up to aim at the target fifty feet from her in concentration.

"Heather!" A familiar voice caught her attention just as she let go, jerking the smallest bit and sending the arrow to the side. Making it sink into the white ring instead of the red circle in the center. Swearing under her breath, she turned to see who it was and frowned at the empty grounds again. She swore someone had just called out to her. Taking a few steps off, Heather turned in a small circle, eyes narrowed while scanning the area. "Hello?"

"Heather..." This time the voice was weak, pained and came from behind her. Turning around slowly, she stared across the grassy area into a pair of blue confused eyes. Breaking the gaze, Legolas looked downwards, making her feel compelled to do so as well.

 **"No!"**

Jerking upright, Heather clapped a hand over her mouth, attempting to stifle the scream that tried to follow her shout, eyes already watering as she stared sightlessly at the wall across from her. Once sure she had control of her urge to scream, she dropped her hand down and clutched at her chest, a soft sob slipping past numb lips. "It was just a dream, just a dream." She whispered over and over, her body bowing forward as she clutched the cloth over her chest tightly.

Closing her eyes, she saw a flash of Legolas, pinned to a tree with her own arrow buried in his chest and snapped them open again, mouth wide as she screamed silently. Gasping, she stumbled out of her bed and across the small room over to her table and grabbed the water pitcher with shaking hands, her grip slipping a couple of times from sweat. Keeping herself focused on the task at hand, she slowly poured herself a glass and set the pitcher aside. Lifting it up to her lips, she sipped the cool water slowly and set it down again.

leaning against the table, she stared down at her shaking hands and clasped them tightly into fists. "It was just a dream, get over it." She whispered sternly, trying to ignore the flashes of her memory flickering with snapshots of her dream. Legolas bleeding, her own hands holding the bow and arrow, even the tree he had been pinned to.

Shaking her head, she moved over to the low chest and tugged out some clothes to change into. It wasn't doing her any good sitting around there, maybe a walk would help clear her head. Tugging the tunic down, she moved to her door and slipped out into the dark hall. Padding along, she let herself get lost in her idle thoughts of artwork and what time it was.

It didn't take long for her to actually become lost actually, frowning, Heather paused at the end of the hall, eyes shifting from side to side as she contemplated what hall to go down next. Soft footsteps from behind jerked her from her thoughts, making her turn around and stare wide-eyed at I'yeste as he walked towards her, a curious look on his face. "Heather? What are you doing here?"

"Ah..." She shifted under his stare nervously and glanced away. "Couldn't get back to sleep."

He was silent a moment, simply watching her move nervously then cracked a smile. "It is not good for you to wander alone in these halls." He finally said, leaning against the wall beside him idly, an amused smile flitting around his lips when Heather shot him an embarrassed look.

"Perhaps some company?" He added when she didn't say anything, already pushing himself away from the wall and walking towards her. Coming to a stop beside her, he held out a arm and smiled over at her.

Looking up at him, Heather managed a shy smile and slipped her arm into his. "Alright, but don't blame me if we get lost, you're the one leading." She sniffed, trying to brush off her earlier embarrassment. He chuckled and patted her hand lightly before setting off down the left hand hallway. "How are you enjoying your visit?" He asked suddenly, taking Heather by surprise as they turned down another hall. Looking up she tipped her head to the side thoughtfully. "It's been... Interesting." She finally admitted, earning a chuckle from I'yeste.

They were silent for a while longer, his arm tightening around her from time to time as they walked along, making her wonder just what he was thinking about before his voice broke through her thoughts again. "What was your dream?"

Heather bit her lip at his question, silently contemplating telling him or keeping it quiet for now. It wasn't exactly the best sign to have a dream about killing your friend after you started training with the same weapon you used. I'yeste glanced down at her and frowned slightly at the troubled look on her face then pulled her to a stop, turning her around to face him. "It is fine if you do not wish to tell me, just know I am here should you ever wish to speak." He said gently, making Heather look up at his face and smile at his earnest expression.

"I know you are, I'yeste, it's just... I don't really want to think about it at all." She murmured, eyes shifting out of focus while she spoke. "That's why I'm out here in the first place."

He was silent again, watching her shift in place once more then nodded to himself. "Very well." Taking her arm in his again, he began walking once more with a purpose. "Come with me, I know of a place." Heather blinked at his sudden change in pace and stumbled slightly in her attempt to keep pace with him. Lengthening her strides, she glanced up at him with a curious frown. His face wasn't giving anything away to his thoughts at all. So, resigned to the fact he wouldn't tell her anything, she simply turned to face forward again and let him lead her down the darkened halls.

* * *

Closing his door behind him, Legolas frowned slightly in the direction he saw I'yeste and Heather disappear in. He had been awake, taking care of his swords when they paused outside of his door to speak. It became clear that Heather had some sort of bad dream and I'yeste had found her walking around. However...

He passed a hand through his hair quickly in agitation while he walked, sharp ears picking up the sounds of their footsteps ahead of him. Where I'yeste planned on taking her, he did not know. Following behind them, he kept his ears trained for anything they might say, not bothering to question why he was following them in the first place while he kept silent.

Turning down several hallways, he heard them come to a stop outside a set of doors and frowned. It was the public garden area, it didn't make all that much sense to him, it had seemed I'yeste had planned on taking her somewhere private, but this was open to everyone. Peering around the corner, he watched his friend open the door for Heather and gently guide her inside with a hand on her back.

Counting to himself, he waited a few minutes before slipping towards the doors himself and opened them just enough to slide past them and moved to the shadows, eyes already spotting the two of them walking down one of the pathways leading through the plants.

"I will not push you to tell me, Heather." I'yeste was saying to her as Legolas came up closer to the pair, his head cocked to the side while he listened. "However I cannot help but express worry."

"I'll be fine, not the first nightmare I've had." She smiled wryly up at him and turned around to study the flowers beside her, a small smile still hovering around her lips as she smelled them. "It won't be my last either."

Legolas watched I'yeste stare down at Heather, his own smile tugging at his lips when she straightened up and turned to look at him. "Don't worry about me, I'm used to dealing with them." She added, an eyebrow raising at his expression.

I'yeste was silent, staring down at her with that curious smile on his face before it shifted slightly as he reached out and touched her hair gently. "Your hair reminds me of the sun when it sets." He said out of the blue, taking both Heather and Legolas by surprise with the change of direction. "Um... Thank you..." She muttered, blushing and looking down at her feet.

"You should not thank me for stating a fact." He murmured teasingly, moving closer to her as he continued playing with a lock of her hair. "It is truly beautiful."

"Ah, um well..." Heather floundered, unused to any type of male attention aside of family and friends, much less anyone... That attractive. "Um, it's been my hair color all my life." She finally managed to get out, watching him lift her hair up to examine closer. "And... It's very hard to... Tame..." She added lamely when he tucked it behind her ear carefully, skillful fingers avoiding actually touching it as he did so.

"I see... Perhaps braiding it may help." He murmured, eyes serious for the first time since they met as he leaned down towards Heather's red face. "Y-yeah... Braiding... Good... Good idea." She stammered, leaning away from him slightly, her eyes wide with surprise.

Legolas swallowed thickly once he realized what was happening, his thoughts very quickly asking the question it should have when he followed them in the beginning: _Why did he follow them?_

Contemplating exactly how he could get out of there without either of them noticing him, he glanced towards the doors then back at the two of them only to have his thoughts screech to a halt when he saw Heather wrapped in I'yeste's arms tightly, the ellon's head resting on top of hers.

"I'yeste...?" Heather's voice squeaked slightly in question, her eyes still wide as she stood there.

"Heather..." He murmured, eyes closing as he held her close. "An Elleth like you could only appear once in a generation of Elves." His voice grew in strength as he pulled away, hands sliding around to rest on her upper arms as he stared down at her. "Allow me the honor to court you."

Legolas's eyes widened at these words. He had no idea I'yeste had been so interested in her. Sure, he knew his friend found Heather attractive and interesting, but honestly it was hard to find an Ellon that didn't, aside of his father of course. Frowning slightly, he watched the two of them a moment longer. It really shouldn't have been a surprise now that he thought of it, it was rare for I'yeste to train new recruits, much less some strange elf that he had only met.

And then there were the glances Legolas saw I'yeste toss her way while she trained, over the course of the past week he watched his friend watch her more and more. It was obvious now that he took the time to analyze his actions.

Then why was it so damn shocking to hear him ask her?

"I'yeste..." Heather's voice broke through Legolas's thoughts, bringing him back to the present. "I... I don't know you that well." She murmured, stepping back and out of the Ellon's grip, a small frown on her lips as she stared up at him. "We just met and you want to... To court me." She passed a hand through her hair idly, a sign of frustration from what Legolas knew of her.

I'yeste tipped his head to the side, studying her for a moment then smiled once more. "I see, Legolas had mentioned you were raised in a village of Man, yes?"

Heather snapped her head up to stare at his face, eyes wide at that. Silently, Legolas cursed himself for his stupidity. He should have told her what he said to I'yeste. It was the only way to explain some of the things she had been ignorant about that were common to elves.

"Yes..." She finally murmured, her eyes guarded when I'yeste reached out again to touch her hair softly. "Then many of the ways they raised you, they are not... It is not the Elven way." He explained gently, that smile still in place while he watched her reaction. "Men... They spend so many of their years learning of someone before they court. They have so few, and they waste them." Stepping closer, I'yeste threaded his fingers through her hair softly, eyes watching each strand slip through them while he spoke. "Elves, while immortal, we do not waste such time. We know even if we do not grow old and die, or have sickness... We may die through any other thing. We cherish our lives and whatever else that is in it that makes it bright."

"I cherish your light, Heather. I do not wish for it to leave my life so soon." Leaning down, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I can wait, I will not give up, but I will wait." He murmured softly and stepped back. "Do not simply ignore my request, _Amin me'a._ " (My light)

Heather's face burned as she stared open-mouthed up at I'yeste, making the elf chuckle and reach out with a finger to close it. "Come, I will escort you to your room. Perhaps now you will sleep with sweeter dreams." Holding out his arm, he waited patiently for her to slowly slip hers in and began walking towards the doors to the garden, leading her out back into the hallways.

Legolas stayed where he was, silent in shock at what he had witnessed. Truthfully, he was ashamed at how he intruded on such a private moment, however...

A burning in his gut urged him to leave and return to his room quickly. He felt tired and confused more than anything every time he repeated the events in his mind. Perhaps he needed sleep, it was a shock to see two of his friends in such a situation. A night's sleep would help him come to terms with this, I'yeste was a good Elf, he knew the ellon would take care of Heather and give her anything she could want. Coming to that conclusion, he fell into bed and closed his eyes, determined to get past all of this and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Heather rolled her shoulders slightly, trying to work the kinks out of her muscles. It had been early when Legolas came knocking on her door to take her to the training grounds. He had looked distracted by something, but whenever she'd ask him, his ears would turn pink and he'd change the subject, making her wonder if someone had confessed to him too.

She had debated on telling him what I'yeste had said to her last night, but decided against it. It wasn't she didn't trust him, or think he couldn't help, it was rather embarrassing more than anything, and she couldn't bring herself to even start the conversation. They met I'yeste on the way outside to the training grounds, his usual smile in place as he stood beside the doors leading out of the tunnels for them.

Heather smiled shyly at him and ducked her head down when he fell into step beside her as they passed him. "Did you sleep well, Heather?" He had asked, making her ears burn as she nodded quietly.

"Good." He chuckled and tugged on a strand of her hair playfully before moving to walk beside Legolas who had moved ahead of them and began talking to him.

Now she stood on the training grounds, Legolas on one side, I'yeste on the other as they coached her on the proper technique once again. Lifting the bow, she ignored the strain in her arm as she pulled the string back, arrow notched properly, and took aim at the painted target placed down at the far end. They had slowly worked her up to fifty yards over the past week, when she could hit a bulls eye two times in a row, they'd place it back another five yards and train her up until she could do the same at that distance.

Letting out a sigh, Heather closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly and opening them back up, her eyebrows drawn together in concentration. Pulling in another deep breath, she steadied her hand and squinted her eyes, letting herself feel the pull of the string and the feather of the arrow.

And she let go.

The bow twanged softly in her ear, the arrow flying straight for once as it headed for the target. Opening her eyes, she watched the split second between it leaving the bow and landing in the middle of the red circle and felt a small smile begin to pull her lips.

 _Thud._

A dull sound reached her ears as it made contact, burying itself up to half of the shaft as the arrow landed in the center of the target. A huge margin of improvement from earlier. However, she didn't take note of any of this, her smile frozen halfway, eyes widening ever so slightly as she stared at the arrow in front of her.

 _'Thud'_

Arrow striking flesh. Burying itself much like hers did.

 _'Thud'_

A small jerk of the body before going completely limp, she could still feel it perfectly all this time later.

 _'Thud'..._ _ **'Thud'**_

Letting out a small cry, Heather dropped the bow and fell to her knees, hands gripping the sides of her head as she stared unseeing at the target- no, Legolas... No... Orc, laying on the ground in front of her. Blood slowly trailing away from the arrow in it's forehead as eyes gazed up at the sky with a cloudy sheen to them.

Faintly she could hear a voice calling her, somewhere a hand grabbed her shoulder and attempted to get her attention. Looking up with glassy eyes, she stared at Legoloas's concerned face, her mouth open in a silent scream.

"Heather!"

His voice jerked her from her thoughts, prompting the scream to finally come forward, piercingly high as she pulled herself away from him, scrambling backwards until she felt her back hit something from behind.

Pulling her knees up, she wrapped her arms around them and buried her face down, trying not to see, not to hear, not to remember even as the thoughts swirled around her mind.

Of course, somewhere deep inside she knew the Orc wasn't any form of good at all. In fact it planned on killing them, or worse. But she heard it, she heard it speak! She could still hear it's raspy breath in her ear. Hell, she had even felt it's heartbeat against her back when it held her hostage.

Shuddering slightly, Heather gripped her legs tighter, replaying that moment where she looked away and let Legolas shoot the creature again and again. The faint thud of arrow and flesh, the jerking motion it's body made right as it happened then the unnerving feeling of muscles relaxing instantly under her foot.

She could feel it swallow just before it died, it's last gasp of breath before the arrow found it's home in its brain. She could feel it living under her grip as she held it down! Then... Nothing, not even a gasp of pain or anything at all. It was simply... Gone, it's life extinguished instantly.

Faint voices sounded around her, more than one as she shuddered again, trying to pull herself together. Already she knew, faintly at least, she had pushed this back too long to handle the shock properly anymore. During the journey to the Elven King's halls, she had pushed it aside constantly, forcing herself to ignore the growing feeling of dread trying to take her over day after day until she just couldn't anymore.

Unbidden, a soft whimper slipped from her lips when a hand gently settled on her head, a soft, masculine voice murmuring in Elvish to her. She couldn't even bother to focus on whatever they were saying, but the way they said it alone was enough to calm her somewhat.

"Heather... Look up." A softly uttered command was the only thing to break through, making her jerk ever so slightly before slowly lifting her head and looking up directly into the eyes of I'yeste as he gazed down at her with concern. A soft whimper broke through her lips as she stared helplessly up at the ellon. "Heather, stand up now..." He murmured to her, eyes locked onto hers as he continued speaking.

When she didn't move, he stood up, a hand outstretched and quietly prompted her to take it. Gazing up at him still, Heather didn't move for a moment, still trying to focus as he stared back down at her. Hesitating for just a second longer, she finally reached up and settled her hand in his, allowing the Elf to pull her to her feet and lead her away from the training grounds.

* * *

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	19. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **Okay, so this chapter is short for two reasons:**

 **1\. I've been EXTREMELY busy making my daughter's costume for Halloween. (She wanted to be Inuyasha this year)**

 **2\. I've only gotten THREE reviews for the last chapter, and you all know how long ago that was posted. I'd like a minimum of five please, it keeps me going more than anything!**

 **I NEED TO KNOW YOU WANT TO KEEP READING.**

 **Now that is out of the way, there will be another A/N at the end of the chapter. PLEASE READ IT.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other OC's and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

"What is her condition?"

"It is hard to say, for now she sleeps. We do not know when she will wake..."

"Do you know what caused this?"

Silence followed the question, making Heather feel the urge to twitch in anticipation for someone to say something. Barely awake, she hovered on the verge of waking and falling back into sleep but she struggled to keep her awareness around her.

"It..." That was a voice she recognized, but Legolas seemed hesitant to continue.

"Legolas?" There was that smooth voice again, it was vaguely familiar to her, but... She couldn't really place it in her half awake state. Though, the sounds were getting lighter, maybe she wouldn't fall back asleep like she thought... Chancing it, she squinted her eyes just the slightest bit, catching sight of a tall, fair-haired elf with a crown of branches on his head. Thranduil! The king of irritation was here?

"She fired the bow and then froze." That was I'yeste this time, his voice very close to her head, making Heather picture him sitting beside her. "Legolas attempted to gain her attention and then she began to scream." He continued, a hand gently brushing against her prone one laying on the bed beside her.

"I see, then perhaps you could shed some light on this, Heather?" The King then turned to stare down at her pointedly, a single eyebrow quirking when she jumped at the sudden address. Feeling somewhat guilty, she opened her eyes the rest of the way and stared up at him silently, trying to work things through her own mind.

"Ah! _Amin Me'a_! You are awake!" I'yeste appeared in her line of sight, a look of relief on his face as he brushed a hand gently on her cheek. "You've slept for days."

"Days?" Heather winced at her hoarse voice and struggled to sit herself up. I'yeste quickly moved to help her, only making her feel frustrated with the whole situation. "I can handle this myself, I'yeste." She sighed, looking up at him when he pulled away with a hurt expression. "I... Oh sod it all." She growled and shoved the blankets off of her and moved to stand up. She couldn't handle being pleasant and polite right then.

"Heather, you shouldn't be standing right now." This time it was Legolas that came forward, a hand held out as if to keep her back, but he wasn't attempting to help her either. "You have been asleep-"

"For days, I know. But I'm sick of being sick." She grumbled, shooting him a weak glare as she reluctantly sat back down on the edge of her bed with a small huffing noise. "I just want to move on and put this all behind me, is that too much to ask?"

"It is, in fact, too much to ask of yourself it would seem." Thranduil broke in, making her jump slightly and curse herself for forgetting he was even there. "Otherwise you would have not had this happen at all." His piercing gaze bored through her, making her feel like he could see right into her very thoughts. "I don't know or care what you're talking about." She narrowed her eyes at him, silently ordering -begging, she was begging- him to let the situation go.

"Then why did you have an episode of that magnitude if you had indeed been prepared to... How did you put it? 'Put it all behind you'?" Apparently he didn't care for her begging either. A smug sort of satisfaction lit his eyes when she looked away from him and to the floor. "I see, then perhaps I was right in assuming it was more than what you are making it to be." He added, watching her squirm in her seat with a small amount of amusement.

"I know how to handle this myself. It isn't the first time I've dealt with issues of this _'magnitude'_ by myself." She snipped, quoting him purposely and earning a narrow-eyed glare from him when she looked up again. "I've done it before, and I'll do it again if you lot would just leave me alone."

"Ah, but I cannot. As king... It would be unseemly if I were to not care for a guest I myself invited to my home." He almost purred, taking a few steps closer to her when she stared at him with wide eyes. "You can't be serious about keeping an eye on me!"

"I'm not some sort of- of invalid!" She jumped to her feet and swayed slightly at the lightheaded feeling that washed over her at the action. Shooting a sharp look at Legolas when he made a move as if to catch her, Heather waved him and I'yeste off with a frown. "I'm fine. See? This is me, being fine."

Looking back over at the King, she locked eyes with him, her's defiant, his faintly amused and irritated. "If this is true, then take up your bow and return to... Practice." He said silkily, watching as she flicked her eyes to the side where her bow still rested on the table beside her bed, obviously indecisive about it.

"I don't want to."

"You only prove my point, child. Get back in bed until you are sure you can shoot the bow without... Screaming." Turning away, he swept _'Damn drama queen...'_ out of the door without another word. Scowling after him, Heather made her way to the doorway and shut it tightly behind him and turned to face her friends.

"I'm fine."

I'yeste was the first to break the silence that followed her statement, moving forward, he took her hand. "Heather-"

"Don't, I'yeste. I'm fine. Just let me get dressed and we'll go find something to do." She pulled away from him and walked to her clothes, carefully folded and set aside for her. Pausing, she tossed a pointed look at the two of them, still standing in the middle of her room. "Some privacy, if you don't mind?"

Flushing, both Ellon ducked out of the room, leaving her alone as she quickly dressed. Turning, she hesitated at the sight of her bow, sitting innocently on the table. Gritting her teeth, she reached out to pick it up and let her shaking hand hover over the wood. Silently, she screamed at herself to pick it up, to just push it all back like she usually did, it's just a bow!

With a shudder, she dropped her hand and backed up from the table, eyes locked on the shining wood before turning and opening the door, a forced grin in place when Legolas and I'yeste turned to look at her curiously. "Much better, let's go do something, yeah?" With a cheerful grin, she slipped past them and moved towards the end of the hallway and paused, almost as an afterthought. "Oh, my bow... Would one of you grab it for me? I forgot it, and knowing your father, Legolas, he'd show up and have the guards stationed at my door if we wait any longer..." Flashing another too-wide smile at the two of them, she vanished around the corner.

I'yeste turned to Legolas as the prince stepped out of the room, bow clutched in his hand. "Do you get the feeling that she might not be as _'fine'_ as she says?"

Lifting up the bow, Legolas studied the glistening wood and frowned slightly. "Legolas?" I'yeste got his attention, drawing the prince's gaze up to his friend, obviously worried over the whole situation. "She will be watched carefully, you know this."

With a sigh, Legolas began walking, bow carefully slung over his shoulder. "I know this, however I feel uneasy leaving her after this. Even if it is only for a week."

I'yeste sighed himself and fell into step beside his friend, eyes shifting to move in front of them as they turned the same corner Heather did a little bit ago. "It is not your fault the patrols need your help."

"No... Though I wonder at Ada's wisdom having both of us leave." Legolas frowned then fell silent as Heather came back into view, an unwilling smile tugging at his lips when he saw her customary lost expression on her face. "For now, let us keep her busy. Then speak of the patrol with her later."

Clapping a hand to I'yeste's shoulder, he picked up the pace to catch up with her before she wandered down the wrong hallway again.

* * *

"So..." Heather started, pausing at the head of one of the public garden paths and turning to face her two friends. "What should we do?" Blue eyes flicking between both of their faces as she continued to chant 'keep it upbeat!' in her head over and over again.

I'yeste flashed her his customary grin and offered his arm. "Perhaps a walk?" He asked with a soft chuckle when she blushed faintly at the vague reference to their nighttime stroll. Shooting a quick look over at Legolas, she slipped her arm into I'yeste's and they began walking along the wooded path quietly. "You know...'' She hummed suddenly, drawing both of their attentions as she gazed upwards with a small frown. "It's nice you managed to make a garden in this mountain..."

"Natural streams of water cutting through helped aid our attempts." Legolas murmured, distracted by his thoughts as they wound their way through the trees and pausing in a small clearing with a pond. "Oh." Heather pulled away from I'yeste and crouched by the water, a single finger dipping in to make ripples with a small smile on her face. "Look, I know you two are worried and all of that, and to be honest, it's sweet. But..." Trailing off, she let out a small sigh and stood up to face them. "I'll be fine. Stop being so... Uptight." Flapping a hand in their direction, she let a small grimace cross her face. "It's unnerving."

Legolas and I'yeste shared a glance before nodding and joining her by the pond. "I apologize, _Amin Me'a._ There is... Something troubling us, it is not you... Mostly." He added hastily when Heather tossed an unimpressed look up at him. "It is-"

"Father wishes for us to join in the patrols this week." Legolas cut in, saving I'yeste from rambling like he knew he was prone to whenever he was uncomfortable. "He asked shortly after you..." He trailed off once he caught sight of the narrow-eyed look she was sending him from the corner of her eyes and backtracked swiftly. "He asked while you were sleeping."

"Of course he did." She snorted lightly, earning an amused glance from the both of them and fell silent once more. "Don't worry about me. I'll figure something out to do, maybe practice writing..." She tugged on a strand of her hair thoughtfully and grinned up at them, her blue eyes flicking between the two of them again. "Maybe do a little training."

When Heather turned away to look back over the water, both Legolas and I'yeste shared a look over her head. "If you are certain..."

"I am." She stated firmly, putting an end to the entire conversation. Silently the two Ellon standing beside her questioned her strength on the statement but kept quiet for the time being. "Very well." I'yeste finally broke the silence, a small smile hovering around his lips as she turned to look up at him. "Shall we go to the evening meal?"

At Heather's grimace, Legolas felt a wry smile tug on his own lips as they wandered back towards the doors. "It will not be with _Ada,_ he asked me to explain he has a meeting with the board and will not be able to join us to night."

"Oh, well then, let's go. I'm starving!" Heather perked up and started tugging on their arms to move faster and making the both of them shake their heads at her sudden energy. Just where did this Elleth put all of the food they've seen her eat exactly?

* * *

 **Now then, I know the wording in this chapter seems stilted and forced, that was on purpose! I want the reader (you) to feel how awkward things are at this point. So if you're wondering if I've lost my touch with writing, think again.**

 **I just wanted to make sure you all knew that. Until next time!**

 **UPDATE: Side note- I want your opinions on having Heather meet with the Dwarves that show up during the Hobbit series. I know the time line is off for it (Aragorn being too old for one) but I was playing with the idea the other day. So let me know, yes or no on if you want to see her interact with them. Kay? Thanks!**

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	20. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **Welp, here we are once again, sorry about the late update. It's been hectic at work considering the holidays coming up and everything.**

 **In fact, they think they're going to have me come in at seven in the morning on thanksgiving then leave at three thirty only to come back at eight at night and work until midnight! Nope, not happening.**

 **Anyway, aside of that, Shy's costume was a HUGE success, I can post pictures on my facebook page later if you're interested in seeing. I think I did a wonderful job on her costume. I, however, went as Riddick cuz... Well the man's a beast and You just have to love him.**

 **Ummm... Yes, this is another short chapter, but it's a nice lead off from here to the start of the next chapter when Heather meets the Dwarves!**

 **I think that's it, those of you I may have missed replying to your reviews? I am sorry, but between work and trying to get sleep and everything else in-between it's been crazy. I did read them though, and I really would love to thank you all for your votes! (In case you didn't know, it was a landslide. Anyone who voted voted for her to meet Thorin and Co.)**

 **Five reviews!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other OCs and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

 _ **'Wormholes would act as shortcuts connecting distant regions of space-time. By going through a wormhole, it might be possible to travel between the two regions faster than a beam of light through normal space-time.'**_

 _ **-Kip Thorne**_

* * *

Peering down at the stone in front of him, Gandalf frowned ever so slightly. More like a twitch of his lips as he used the end of his staff to turn it this way and that on the table in front of him. Elrond watched silently as the wizard studied the object in front of him, worry frowns creasing his forehead while he waited for his thoughts.

"This is... Beyond what I know." The wizard finally sighed, straightening up and leveling a stare at Elrond, a hand disappearing into his beard for a moment then reappeared with a pipe along with it. "The markings are familiar, but of no language I know of." Lighting the end, he took a couple puffs and exhaled thoughtfully, eyes drifting away from Elrond and over to the stone sitting between them. "And this was found where Heather had... _Appeared?"_ Turning towards Aragorn, he addressed the man this time, bringing him out of his own thoughts on the subject.

"Yes, she dug it from the ground." He pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and joined the other two around the table. "Almost as if she expected it to be there."

"You... Are claiming she had put this there herself?" Elrond finally asked, incredulous as he eyed Aragorn warily. "She is but a child."

"A child to you." Aragorn shook his head and ran a hand over his head with a small huff of exasperation. "However does she act like any child you know of?"

Silence followed his question, making the other two men think over all they've learned of Heather over the course of this past month. Granted she did have a childlike curiosity about many things, however...

"She is much too intelligent to be a child." Gandalf finally agreed, exhaling a cloud of smoke and tucking his pipe away. "My belief still stands however, I do not think she had anything to do with this." Gesturing towards the stone, he turned to Aragorn, eyebrow raised. "You cannot honestly believe she has either."

"No. Though I do wonder how she knew." The man relented, arms crossing over his chest. "It was as if..." He trailed off thoughtfully, thinking back over the day when it was found. "She was called."

Once more silence descended upon the three of them as they shared a look over the odd stone. Yet again they found themselves with more questions than answers when it concerned Heather.

* * *

Pausing beside one of the rare windows cut into the mountain halls, Heather leaned against the sill and smiled at the scene spread out in front of her. Trees as far as she could see, stretching out into a vast sea of leaves dotted with splashes of color either made by animals or other plants.

In all honesty, she couldn't say the place was ugly, she just didn't like feeling cooped up inside of a mountain every day. Scowling at the direction her thoughts were taking, Heather pushed herself away from the window and walked along the hallway once more.

Anytime she found herself heading in the direction of the doors so she could step outside, it seemed she ran into Thranduil almost by... _'accident',_ and each time he would ask _'innocently'_ on if she planned on picking up her training with the bow. Any conversation after that would devolve into a barrage of veiled insults from both of them before she got fed up and walked off.

Half the time she could swear he was laughing at her when she did. But she refused to turn around and see for herself.

Alright, so he wasn't all that bad. If she had to say anything good about him, she'd have to admit he didn't push the matter with her. He'd bring it up, all the time, but he wouldn't push it when she said no. Stopping beside the hallway connecting to the main entryway, Heather peered around the corner, checking to see the only ones there were the guards.

Once sure Thranduil was nowhere in sight, she quietly crept out from behind the wall and made her way quickly towards the doors. The faster she got outside, the quicker she could get away from Thranduil and his idle questions.

Ten steps.

Five...

Sunlight. Grinning wide, Heather gave herself a mental pat on the back before trotting down the pathway into the welcoming shade of the trees with a relieved sigh. Maybe he was busy? Most likely considering he was the flipping king. Snorting under her breath, she shook her head and picked up the pace, heading in the general direction of a small garden I'yeste had pointed out to her the other day.

Still deep in thought, she failed to notice the figure walking in front of her until it was too late and nearly knocked the poor soul over in her rush to get away from the mountain. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Heather gasped, stumbling back and moving around to help them straighten their cloak. "Please, forgive me. I wasn't paying attention..." Trailing off, she let out a small sigh and tugged on a strand of her hair nervously as the elf in front of her adjusted his robes.

Once they were done, she bit her lip and held out her hand. "Sorry again-" And promptly choked on air when the elf finally looked up at her to reveal Thranduil staring at her in bemusement.

"It would seem..." He trailed off, watching her gape at him for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "You have no senses that work. Otherwise you would have simply gone around."

"Oi, it isn't my fault you were walking in the middle of the path." She snipped at him and promptly slapped a hand over her mouth in horror. Silently questioning her sanity as Thranduil drew himself up to his full height and stared down his nose at her with that damned imperious look of his. "Sorry..."

Slumping slightly, Heather closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over them, fighting off the urge to yawn as she shuffled from foot to foot nervously. Thranduil stayed silent, simply watching her closely as she bit back another yawn and tipped his head to the side.

"Do you not sleep where you came from? Or is it habit to deprive yourself of it while visiting another's hospitality?" He finally asked flippantly, easily gaining her frustrated attention with satisfaction when she leveled a quick glare at him only to backtrack once more and dip her head down in a small bow.

"I don't sleep well, no." She mumbled, making him raise an eyebrow this time at her unusual docile actions. Normally she would bite right back at him with some vague insult to his features or personality by now. However...

Upon closer inspection, the dark shadows under her eyes told she was speaking the truth, a half truth that it was, but still truth. He knew she slept, and promptly woke up choking on screams every night according to the maid he appointed to her upon her arrival.

"Hm." Humming under his breath, he moved around her and continued walking towards the garden and stopped a few feet away when he noticed she hadn't moved from her spot. "Come now, you were in such a rush to reach the garden you attempted to knock me off my feet, didn't you?" He tossed over his shoulder and continued on, not bothering to look back and see if she picked up on the veiled invitation.

Heather jumped slightly when he addressed her and blinked uncomprehendingly at his back as Thranduil walked away from her until his words finally sank in. Looking around quickly, she debated on the intelligence of following him to the garden and gave in with a huff. She wanted to get outside, and now she was, was she really going to let the drama king scare her back into that damned mountain of his?

Shaking her head wearily, Heather trailed along behind the King silently, watching him for a moment then turning her attention back to the forest around her, a peaceful smile stealing over her face as she trailed her fingers along the trees as she passed them. In the very back of her mind, she imagined she could hear whispers from them as she let her fingers scrape against the rough bark. Telling her their stories as she walked by.

For just a moment she could believe it was just her and nature again, like it was back home in Rivendell. The birds singing, the rustle of the leaves from the wind playing with them, even the smell of damp earth as she walked across the soft moss.

For the first time in three days, she felt energized and happy. If she thought she could get away with it, Heather might have just took off into the trees and run just for the excitement she could feel coursing through her at the mere possibility.

Opening her eyes, however, shattered her little bubble when she spied Thranduil standing at the gateway to the garden, watching her with a curious expression on his face, one she couldn't place as she walked up. "What..?"

His arm twitched slightly, as if he thought about moving it then changed his mind a split second later. "You appear healthier than you have been." He finally stated, making her narrow her eyes slightly, trying to catch the insult he normally tossed into any statement he gave her. "Yes... Well, I always feel better in the woods." She hedged, still watching him as she made her way into the garden and settled down on a stone bench, bare toes wiggling in the grass under them idly.

"Hm." Humming, in agreement or in question, she couldn't tell, Thranduil sat on the far end of the bench, lapsing into silence they settled into their seats, if not a little awkwardly on Heather's part, and enjoyed the peace.

Shooting Thranduil a look from the corner of her eyes, she pursed her lips slightly in thought and tugged on a strand of her hair idly. "You have not touched your bow." Thranduil finally broke the silence, making her twitch in surprise. "What?"

Turning to look at her fully, the King eyed her guilty expression and gave her an unamused look. "Your bow remains where you have left it. Untouched."

"Have you been sneaking around my room?" She blurted out without thinking and stared wide-eyed at Thranduil as he eyed her right back. Was that laughter in his eyes? _No!_

"Why are you laughing at me?" She snapped, her mood swinging from quiet to irritated within a second, making the King's expression twitch as he attempted to repress his smirk.

"To think you would assume I enjoy going through other's belongings is amusing, child. However there is no need to do such a thing." His gaze drifted down to her clenched hands, all amusement gone from his eyes. "I know because I have yet to see you train."

Looking down at them herself, Heather uncurled her fists and let out a small sigh, her mood once more swinging in a completely different direction. "I can't." She finally admitted in a quiet voice. "You were right, alright? I can't even look at it much less touch it." Leaning forward, she ran both hands over her face with a groan.

"Every time I go to sleep, I keep seeing that damn thing with an arrow in his eye. I keep hearing it speak and I keep remembering I was the one that held it down." Heather mumbled out from behind her hands as she withheld a shudder. "I keep remembering my dream and I keep reliving it, over and over and over again..." Trailing off, she took a shuddering breath and dropped her hands, tossing a self-deprecating smile over at Thranduil. "It's fine, you can say I'm pathetic, I already know it."

Thranduil sat silently, his gaze moving around the garden while she spoke, hands clasped on his lap. "My bond mate, my wife. She grew this garden." He finally stated, taking her by complete surprise as he went on. "She claimed it was to be for anyone to come here and enjoy nature in it's purest form." Now he turned to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at Heather. "However I knew it was for me."

Staying quiet, Heather listened with some measure of confusion as Thranduil continued to speak. "While my Ada lived, I went on patrols as Legolas does now. And one night..." He trailed off, a flash of... guilt? Flickered in his eyes for a moment then vanished once more. "Orc were found lurking in the forest. The men in my patrol wished to return to the mountain and alert the others, however, in an effort to prove myself to my Father, attempted to stop them myself."

Turning to look back out over the garden, he reached up an traced a finger along the side of his jaw, where a barely visible scar could be seen absentmindedly. "It did not end well. All but myself and one other of the patrol died. The guilt was all mine to carry."

"She grew the garden so you could find peace, didn't she?" Heather finally murmured quietly, her own gaze drifting over the flowering bushes with a newfound appreciation when Thranduil nodded in agreement.

Silence stretched between the two of them for several minutes as Heather digested the story and let out a small huff of laughter. "You know..." Turning to look up at Thranduil, she eyed him critically and twisted her lips to the side. "You aren't as bad as I thought. Still a bit of a drama queen, but..." Trailing off, she waved her hands helplessly and sent a crooked grin at him. "Thank you."

Raising another eyebrow at her choice of words, Thranduil tipped his head and watched her get to her feet and start walking back to the path leading towards the mountain. "Heather."

Pausing, she turned to look back at him curiously with a drop of trepidation as he got to his feet himself and faced her. "If you can manage to get up as the sun rises, I will meet you in the training fields." Now there was definitely a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as she shot a half glare at him and nodded shortly before disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

Turning to sit back down on the bench, Thranduil let his gaze linger on a patch of lilies and allowed a gentle smile flicker on his face. It would seem his beloved would be guiding him even after all these years. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the scent of nature and allowed his mind to quiet and relaxed fully against the bench.

 _'Very well,_ _ **Haba Coia**_ _, just as you wished.'_ (Mine Life)

* * *

 **I do realize Thranduil isn't... Thranduil I guess? But once again, leading up to the main point of this part of the story. Please patience!**

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	21. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **Hello! I am SO SORRY for how long this took me to post. A literal shit-storm happened a week or so after I last posted and really didn't have the time or even urge to write again until now.**

 **First thing: I know this chapter is short, but to be honest, I wrote half of it before and saved it so the flow I had going before everything happened vanished. I made do with what I could, but please forgive the sudden break in the middle there where the style and flow breaks.**

 **Second: I really do want to apologize to each and every one of you that reviewed- I know I didn't reply to you all, and I feel awful for that, but considering what I went through recently, I would just like to say that even though I didn't answer, I want you all to know that your love for my story helped keep my mood up and made me smile a time or two when I went to re-read them before writing again. So, thank you all, so much, you have no idea the difference you made.**

 **Third: Those of you that patiently waited so long for this chapter, I really hope it lives up to expectation. I did try quite a bit, and you can thank my brother for helping me get back into the mood by buying the complete collection of the Hobbit Series -Extended edition just yesterday so yeah, it helped a lot too.**

 **Fourth: Once again, I am SO SO SO SORRY for how long this took. But hopefully my muse won't be crushed by yet another shitty bout of bad luck and I'll start spewing chapters like some sort of messed up printer possessed by a demon or something.**

 **Yeah still not all here yet, but I will be!**

 **I love you all so much and again, thank you for your reviews.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other OCs and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

Tipping her head back, Heather closed her eyes and smiled slightly at the breeze drifting across her face. A feeling of peace falling over her as she stood under the sun, feeling it's warmth and the smells of nature surround her.

For the moment she ignored the pounding of her heart that was telling her she was scared, the faint voice in her head telling her how pathetic she was and the sting of tears threatening to fall from her eyes. For the moment, she just let herself exist in the world, no more, no less.

A soft shuffle from behind made her ears perk up but she ignored it, trying to keep the blissful feeling she had last just a little longer.

"Your mind is now calm, yes?" Ahhh, he just had to talk now didn't he? Ruined everything. Biting back a scowl Heather opened her eyes and looked over to where Thranduil stood beside her. "Yeah, for the most part."

Thranduil studied her for a moment before allowing a slight twitch of his lips and tipping his head in the direction of the target set off to the side. "Take your stance."

Clenching her teeth, Heather walked over to the target, stopping at the point paced ten feet away, her hands trembling slightly as she moved to take the bow from her shoulder, fingers numb as she fumbled with her grip.

Nearly dropping it a couple times, she finally managed to bring it around in front of her and tightened her hold to the point her knuckles turned white, her breathing short and quick as she refused to look down at the weapon she now held.

"Heather."

"Hm..." She hummed, refusing to open her lips because she might just start screaming, about what she didn't know, but a scream was building and she refused to let it out.

"Look at your bow." Thranduil moved around in front of her, making her gaze shift from the target to his face as he leaned forward slightly to get her attention, his expression intense as he studied her. "Look at the bow in your hand."

"Why, it's just wood." She muttered, glancing away from him childishly and looking at the ground with a frown. "A piece of wood with a string."

"That will defend you when you need it most." He chided, slim hand reaching out to lift the bow, her hand still holding on, up to eye level. "This... _'Piece of wood'_ will save you when all others can and _will_ fail. You must place your trust into it, and in turn, you place trust in yourself." He continued, his gaze drifting along the carvings set into the bow with a critical eye, ignoring Heather as she looked up at him in confusion.

"If you cannot trust yourself to keep yourself safe, then there is no one on this world you can trust." With a slight nod to himself, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Trust your bow and you trust yourself. You blame your bow for an attack you had no control over, and you blame yourself." He finished letting go of the wood and stepping to the side, eyes never leaving Heather as she finally brought the bow up to her gaze and trailed her fingers lightly along the wood like she had all those days ago when she first got it.

"Trust the bow..." She murmured, biting back the urge to laugh at the very fortune cookie type saying and let a small smile lift her lips upwards. _'I had no control over what happened, Legs already said if we met one of those things he'd kill it long before we were caught by the scout. So, even if I hadn't held him down, he still would have been shot.'_

Biting her lip lightly, she reached up and trailed her fingers along the feathers in her quiver, letting them slip along her skin lightly before grasping an arrow and pulling it out with a familiar fluid motion, already notching it into the bow and holding it up before she even became aware of the fact she planned on shooting.

Focusing on the target in front of her, she blanked her mind and narrowed her eyes. _'Don't focus on anything else but the target, don't think just shoot.'_ Heather reminded herself and took in a steadying breath before letting the arrow loose, tracking it's flight until it sunk into the center of the target seconds later.

Then, there it was, the image of the orc with an arrow sunk in it's head, flicking across her thoughts, making her grimace and drop the bow to her side, her other hand coming up to rub at her face furiously.

"Heather." She shook her head and ignored the King as she tried to push the image back again, her teeth clenched tight as she fought it off.

A hand suddenly settled on the top of her head, bringing her thoughts to a stop as she blinked at the grass in surprise and confusion. "You've done well. Return to your room." With that, Thranduil dropped his hand and walked away, Heather jerking her head up in time to see the edge of his robe whip out of sight.

"He..." Blinking a couple of times, she looked around the area then pinched herself hard on the arm, yelping at the pain when she did. "No... Not sleeping. Then what the hell was that?" Looking around again, she slowly started walking back to the halls, deeply confused by the whole situation.

* * *

Days passed, then weeks, each day Heather woke up and met Thranduil at he archery range. And every time she shot the bow and landed a mark, she held back the horror that welled up in her at seeing the arrow sunk into the target. Every time she did, Thranduil would tell her to return to her room and there she would stay until either she decided to leave again or until her next meeting with him.

And, without her noticing, each day the disgust was easier to push back, easier to ignore and she was able to shoot more than once before it overwhelmed her.

By the end of the week she was able to shoot five times before she felt the need to stop. By the end of two weeks, she forgot what she was trying to fight against.

By the beginning of the next month she didn't even think about it as she loaded her bow and took aim. The image of the orc slowly faded away until she was only left with a vague sense of uneasiness whenever she loosed the arrow. Smiling triumphantly at her tenth bulls eye, she turned to look over at Thranduil to see the approval on his face.

"See, I told you I could do it." She grinned, propping a hand up on her hip and raising an eyebrow at the king. "I should be put on the rings with how well I'm doing I think." She added when he didn't say anything and just stepped forward and studied the target with a critical eye.

"Your center is off." He stated in his _'I'm correct and you aren't_ ' tone of voice that made her roll her eyes skywards without fail as she moved to join him in front of the target. "It is not off, look right there-" Raising a hand, she pointed a finger at the arrow only to cut herself off when she noted that it was, indeed, off center.

Dropping her hand to her side, Heather swore colorfully in her native tongue and narrowed her eyes at the hateful target in frustration. Try as she might, she never could land ten perfect bulls eyes, or as Thranduil called them, 'Centers' in a row.

"What is this... **Slut** you speak of?"

Then came the crashing realization that she swore quite rudely in front of one of the more influential elves of the world rushed over her. Looking over at said elf, she bit back the mad urge to laugh at the innocently curious look on his face. "It's... It's just ah..." Trailing off, she waved a hand vaguely in the air, hoping she wouldn't have to actually explain.

"Yes?" Quirking an eyebrow, he leaned towards her slightly, eyes piercing through her as she avoided his gaze. "I fail to hear an explanation, perhaps I should ask again?"

"No... No That's fine!" Heather blurted out quickly, absolutely sure her sanity couldn't take Thranduil, King of the Elves saying _'Slut'_ in such a childlike fashion again. She would end up loosing it and being locked away for being insane.

" _Ova-Elle..._ " (Little Plant) He leaned in closer, a no-nonsense expression in place as she stared belligerently back. Despite the small bit of warmth the bloomed at the little nickname he had taken to calling her after she had explained the origin of her name to him over dinner one night. "It's nothing, really."

"Is that so..." He stared her down a few seconds longer then straightened up, a slight twinkle in his eye she decidedly didn't like as he nodded seemingly to himself and turned away, already walking back to the cavern entrance before Heather realized he was leaving. "Hey, wait!"

"If you will not tell me, then I shall send message to my son and ask him. He speaks your language yes?" Thranduil called over his shoulder to Heather as they passed the guards -Who she realized were wearing small smiles of amusement, at her expense no less!- and moved towards the throne room.

Her eyes widened at the mere thought of what he was proposing. She never explained any type of cursing to Legolas aside of her usual, 'hell no!' and already she could hear both him and his father both asking her what _'slut'_ meant whenever they got the chance. Tag-teamed by father and son... Her nightmare was beginning to become a reality.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you." She sighed, one hand outstretched towards the King as he turned to look at her expectantly. "Just... Oh lord." Running a hand over her face, thoughts over what she was about to do running through her head as she cast a quick glance around to be sure the area was empty then motioned Thranduil to come closer.

Heaving a small sigh, she leaned forward and whispered the meaning in his ear quickly before backing up and turning away with a ferice blush on her face. "There, now you know a word Legolas doesn't." She added for good measure, not even bothering to look at him as she slipped her bow over her shoulder and fiddled with the strap to her quiver nervously. "Happy now?"

"I fail to see how a target even resembles a woman of loose morals and no guilt."

Resisting the urge to slap her forehead, Heather took a steadying breath and turned to face him finally. "It's just something people say. It doesn't mean anything other than trying to get the point across that they aren't happy with whatever it is that word is pointed to."

He was silent for a moment longer before finally nodding. "I see." Breathing a sigh of relief that the issue was resolved with little stress, Heather turned away and headed down the steps leading up to Thranduil's throne as he sat down.

" _Ova-Elle._ " Pausing, she looked over her shoulder at him in trepidation, sure he was about to demand another explanation when she spied the serious look on his face. Turning around to face him fully, she gave him her full attention as he studied her in silence for a moment.

"Tomorrow we will use the rings." Unable to stop the grin that spread across her face, Heather bowed at the waist to him, excitement replacing her previous hesitation and embarrassment. "Thank you."

"Return to your room, your training will not be as easy now. Sleep will be... Important." He added, a decidedly wicked smile hovering around his lips as she sent him another blissful grin and vanished from the room.

* * *

"You are not trying, Heather. Aim!" Thranduil's voice broke through Heather's concentration yet again as she drew her bow back, sighting down the shaft at the clay ring spinning in the air. "I am aiming!" She snapped back, not bothering to be polite to him anymore as she loosed the arrow and broke yet another one of the target rings instead of shooting through the center.

"It is clear you are not." He shot back making her grit her teeth and chant the now-familiar mantra in her head: _'He isn't a target. He isn't a target...'_

Sucking in a breath, she forced her fist to clench from around the bow and turned on her heel to face him, face carefully blanked of any emotion least he use it against her again. "I _am_ aiming."

"If you were to aim, you would not break the ring." Turning one of the clay rings in his hands, Thranduil didn't even glance her way as Heather bit her tongue.

Her morning started fairly normally, breakfast in her room then retrieving her bow and arrows to go meet Thranduil out in the empty archery range. However ten minutes after her usual warm-up of shooting without a target to get her muscles ready for the strain everything began to go downhill.

It was quickly apparent shooting an arrow through a clay ring was vastly different from aiming at a target. It was moving, both the arrow and the ring were subject to the wind as well. Not to mention, she had to compensate for gravity for her own arrow as well as the ring as it was falling.

Most of the time she over-compensated and ended up shooting below it or above it. It took her until two or three hours ago to even hit the ring, now that was all she could do.

"Do not claim such an act is impossible either." He added when her mouth opened to retort, causing Heather to snap it shut in irritation. No, she knew it wasn't impossible, she saw it happen right in front of her multiple times. However thinking she could do it the first day she started? That was impossible.

"I don't see how you keep expecting me to be able to shoot through a ring on my first day." She muttered, feeling more like a child than ever when he sent her an exasperated look and simply shook his head.

" _Ova-Elle_ , I have seen your progress. It is no little thing when I say I believe you can." He said softly, his gaze dropping down to the ring in his fingers once more thoughtfully. "You show remarkable talent."

Struck dumb, Heather stared at him, mouth agape in shock at his quiet omission. He thought she was talented? She could barely even hold a bow much less shoot it when she first got there, yet he thought she had... What? Potential for being an ace archer?

"Thranduil..." Taking a step forward, she swallowed back the embarrassing lump in her throat. "I-"

"My King!" A young ellon ran up, a letter held out to Thranduil. "This just arrived from your son."

There went all the good feelings she had just like smoke, panic bloomed in her chest as Thranduil seemed to freeze for just a moment then took the letter and opened it quickly. Resisting the urge to read over his shoulder, not that she would even understand it, she bit her lower lip, choosing instead to watch him, hoping to catch something from his reaction.

However... He wasn't the king for no reason. His expression didn't change in the slightest as he continued reading, making the slight panic she held earlier begin to ebate little by little. Then, there, for a split second, his eyes widened slightly, making her frown in thought.

Looking up at the Ellon, he folded the letter and tucked it away in one of his mystery pockets. Seriously, between him and Gandalf she was beginning to have the suspicion that anyone with any type of non-natural ability could simply magic items away and recall them at will.

"Prepare for my son's return." He stated shortly and turned to Heather, his face still impassive. "We will have a meal to welcome him back." His gaze drifted down to her usual outfit then back up to her face pointedly.

Getting what he meant, she shook her head good-naturedly and smiled. "Alright. I'll change into something more... Fitting." Sniffing slightly, she tipped her head up a bit and turned away, not before she saw the faint smile flit across his face and the astonished expression on the other elf's as she walked off.

Sometimes she wondered why she started getting along with him then there were moments like these that made her believe it was worth it in the end.

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	22. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **Quick update, I know, crazy right?**

 **Just a little extra for all of you wonderful wonderful people reading this. But unfortunately this will be the last one until my next day off unless I can manage to write enough during the times I'm not working and post that way.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other OCs and the plot**

 **~TL**

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"Hurry, Lady Heather, the bath is ready!" Nimphel tugged Heather towards the bathing room as soon as she opened the door to her room. Stumbling after the Elleth, she frowned at her continued use of 'Lady' even after she had expressly told her not to do so. "Nimphel..." She sighed, not bothering to resist at she began untying the stays to her vest hurriedly. "What is your rush?"

"The scouting party is returning today, there is always a celebration when they do." She pushed her towards the steaming bath and helped her in. "The King sent a dress suitable for the occasion." She added when all Heather sent her was a blank look.

"A celebration?" Frowning, Heather dunked her head under the water and sat back up to let the elleth begin scrubbing her hair. "Yes, it is a rare day when every member returns unscathed." The maid nodded, a brief flash of sadness overtaking her features for just a moment then vanished as she returned to washing out Heather's hair.

"Oh..." Falling silent, she contemplated what her friend said as she finished with her bath. Stepping out, she accepted the robe she held out to her and wrapped it around herself. "Nimphel..."

"Your gown is laid on your bed, I will go and see how much longer we have." The maid bustled past, heading for the chamber door only to have Heather grab her arm gently and pull her to a stop. "Nimphel, please, what is wrong?"

Nimphel glanced over at Heather, a sad smile hovering around her lips as she tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling. "It is also a celebration of starlight tonight, the festivities will be joyful. However I cannot be."

Pulling her with, Heather sat on the edge of her bed and clasped one of Nimphel's hands between her own, a pang of sympathy sending an ache in her heart at the sad look on her face. "Why?"

"My betrothed..." She began softly, eyes drifting down to the floor while she spoke. "Died in one of the scouting parties. Spiders overtook them during the night, they had no warning."

Looking back up, she forced a smile on her face and shook her head, using her free hand to wipe the dampness from her cheeks. "Tonight would have been our bonding night."

At best guess, Heather figured 'Bonding Night' was the elven equivalent of marriage. With a small smile, she opened her arms to her friend, letting the elleth hug her tight and bury her face in the shoulder of her robe to hide her tears. Human or elf, no one deserved that kind of pain. Rubbing the elleth's back gently, she rocked side to side quietly, simply letting her cry herself out before pulling away and placing her hands on her shoulders.

"Do you wish to stay?" She frowned slightly, not really wanting to leave the woman alone while she was so upset. "No, no, you must go." Nimphel smiled softly, this time without the hint of sadness that colored it moments ago. "They will expect you there."

"But-"

"No, now-" She stood up and brushed her clothes down briskly, back to business as she coaxed Heather to her feet once more. "Come, you must be dressed."

Giving in, Heather shook her head lightly and tugged her robe off, accepting the clothing Nimphel handed to her. Shaking the cloth out, she eyed the 'dress' dubiously. "I fail to see how this is appropriate."

Nimphel giggled softly and shook her head. "It is not what you think it to be." Reaching over, she picked up a pair of light grey leggings and held them out. "It is a traditional Greenwood outfit." She added when Heather still failed to put it on. "Come now, Lady, you must dress." Taking the top from her, Nimphel handed her the leggings to put on. "I understand the top now, considering it couldn't be a dress with the sides slit up that far..." Heather started, tugging the leggings up and tying them before continuing.

"But the top is... Shapeless?" She asked, never having a use for the elvish word before now.

"That is because the vest will bind over-top." Nimphel handed her the top next, helping her pull it over her head and tying the back so it would stay in place. Looking down, Heather played with the edges of the slit idly, eyeing how high it rested on her hips with pursed lips. While before coming to this world, she had no issue with showing skin, wearing shorts and tank tops nearly every day, now however it felt wrong on another level entirely.

"I should hope so." She muttered, flushing when Nimphel laughed softly and slipped the vest over her shoulders to tie the back tightly, forcing the dress top to slim down against her shape.

"I knew it would look wonderful on you." The elleth smiled, moving around to stand in front so she could admire Heather happily. "The color compliments your eyes and hair." She added with a twinkle in her own eyes when Heather glanced down at herself, a shy smile appearing on her face. "You think?"

"Yes, now sit." She nodded firmly towards the chair, brush already in hand as Heather made her way over and sat down. "Are you going, Nimphel?" She asked suddenly, looking out of the corner of her eye at the maid as she ran the brush through her hair. Heather had given up trying to stop the elleth from doing any of these things a while ago, deciding it would be less of a headache to just deal with being pampered... It wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"Yes, I have my clothing ready to change when you are ready to leave." Nimphel smiled slightly, her eyes shining at the prospect of the celebration. "What! Why are you here then, go!" Jumping up, she took the brush from Nimphel's hand and began pushing the elleth towards the door. "I can brush my own hair, go get ready, Nimphel."

"But-"

"No buts, I won't have it now go." Heather smiled at the confused look she received. _"Elleth_ or not, maid or Lady, all women need time to prepare so they look their best, do we not?"

Nimphel blushed slightly and smiled back. "Of course. I will return when done." Dipping her head, she hugged Heather in thanks quickly before rushing off towards her own room. Shaking her head, Heather chuckled under her breath and closed the door. "Now then, maybe I can brush my hair myself for once?" She asked no one with a wry smile in place, eyes drifting down to the brush she held in her hand. "What a novelty."

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Twisting her hair up, Heather frowned slightly in thought as she eyed the circlet sitting on the table in front of her. For the life of her, she had no idea why it made it's way back to her room after that disastrous first dinner. She remembered clearly taking it off and setting it on the table. The only thing she could figure was Legolas may have given it to Nimphel to return it to her.

But... Biting her lip, she let her hair fall back down and sat in the chair. She wasn't a Lady by any means. Yes, she was adopted into Elrond's family, giving her the status of one, but she didn't know a damn thing about decorum. It was a minor miracle she didn't make a fool of herself whenever she ate in front of anyone really.

A soft knock sounded on her door. "Lady Heather?" Nimphel cracked it open and peered around the edge curiously. "You have not finished your hair." She tisked softly and moved over to take up the forgotten brush. "I left nearly a hour ago and you have yet to finish this task. You wonder why I insist on doing it for you." She teased lightly, tugging a few strands upwards and securing them with a pin before reaching for the circlet.

"I don't want to wear it." Heather spoke up, making the elleth pause just before closing her fingers around the metal. Turning to look at her, the maid eyed her curiously, obviously confused. "But-"

"I don't want to wear it, please." Heather stated again, looking up at her friend with a small sigh and smile. "It just isn't me."

Nimphel was silent then nodded her head. "As you wish." Gesturing with her hand, she motioned for Heather to stand up and fussed with her clothes a few seconds, adjusting here and there before she stood back, satisfied. "I hear word the party arrived not long ago. The celebration will start as soon as the king speaks with his son."

"I imagine they have plenty to talk about." Heather murmured, lost in thought as she brushed her hands down the front of the vest idly. "He's been gone a month at least." With a faint sense of surprise, Heather recounted the days, her eyes widening at the realization it had been a few days over a month since she last saw Legolas and I'yeste.

She had been so consumed with her fear of the bow and then archery training, the days passed before she even realized it. Feeling a newfound boost of excitement, she turned to Nimphel and offered a blinding smile. "I can't wait to see them. It's been so long and I didn't even notice it."

Nimphel smiled back and clicked her tongue, tucking a stray lock of Heather's hair behind her ear carefully. "I wonder what they will say when you show them your fear has abated?"

Heather chuckled and shot a glance over at the bow now propped in the corner of her room wryly. "I imagine they will be pleasantly surprised, especially after his father tells him that he was able to get me to shoot it again when they could not."

Nimphel shook her head and opened the door so they could step out into the hallway, the sound of overlapping voices already drifting towards them as they made their way towards the anti-chamber near the surface of the caves where the celebration was to be held.

"It is not wise to speak as such about the King." She chided, eyeing the crooked grin Heather sent her way. "I've said much worse." Heather brushed off, ignoring the wide-eyed stare Nimphel sent her way as she picked up the pace once the entryway to the chamber came into view. "Come on, Nimphel, it sounds like they didn't bother waiting for everyone to get here."

Pausing at the opening, she peered into the room and blinked at the sight in front of her.

When Nimphel said 'celebration' she had envisioned one of the many Elrond had hosted for various reasons while she was in Imladris. Plenty of good food and conversation, pleasantly soft music and maybe dancing if anyone got into the mood for it.

This... Was... Different.

"I apologize for not warning you earlier, Lady Heather. I forget many other elves celebrate differently than we do." Nimphel winced slightly, cursing herself for her lax memory. Heather turned to look at her friend wordlessly, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that many elves were dancing wildly around the center where a great fire pit lay in the floor. The sounds of laughter and conversation drifting towards them.

"Why are you sorry?" She finally asked, turning back to the party, a wide grin beginning to spread across her face as she took in the sight of so many elves genuinely enjoying themselves in a way she could understand. "This is amazing."

"Lady..?"

"Nimphel." Heather straightened up and tossed a grin over at her friend before offering her arm to the elleth. "Tonight, I am only Heather and you are only Nimphel. No Lady or Maid business here. Agreed?"

Nimphel studied the Elleth in front of her in mute astonishment. From what she understood, many elves from other cities preferred quiet parties with food an plenty of talk. But hardly anything close to how those in her city celebrated. Yet here this elleth stood in front of her, positively brimming with excitement to go in there as she waited for her response.

Shaking her head in amusement, Nimphel took her arm with a smile. "Of course, Heather. I would not have it any other way." With a final smile at each other, they moved to walk into the room and join in on the festivities.

Pausing just on the edge of the gathered crowd, Heather simply watched the other elves enjoy themselves with a small smile on her face. They were loud, they sang along with the music playing from a small band off to the back, dancing and eating and, judging from the smell from the glasses that passed by her on a tray, drinking to their heart's content and she couldn't feel any more welcome if she woke up back home the next morning.

Turning to look over at Nimphel, she raised an eyebrow at the cup already in the elleth's hand. "I see you're already celebrating."

The Elleth grinned widely at her and took a sip of the drink with a satisfied look on her face. "It isn't often the King brings up his private wine, even for a celebration. He must be very pleased with something." Licking her lips, she hummed appreciatively at the taste and offered the glass to Heather. "Come, taste the best wine the Eldar have to offer."

Biting her lip, she looked up at Nimphel and took the glass. "I have to say, it's been a long time since I drank anything remotely alcoholic besides beer and that was..." Trailing off, she tried to count the days since she last was even in her home world and gave up with a shrug. She never planned on going back, with nothing left for her there, she came to the conclusion to simply enjoy life as it was.

And considering how her life turned upside down since she arrived, it wasn't that hard to let go anyhow. Lifting the glass, she took a small swallow, eyes widening once the liquid touched her taste buds. Berries, nuts and something sweet exploded across her senses. "Oh... Wow..."

Nimphel laughed, watching Heather's expression as she stared at the cup in her hand in something akin to wonder. "Yes, the King's private reserves are a treat indeed."

"You aren't kidding." Heather took another drink and hummed low in her throat at the taste before swallowing and offering the cup back to Nimphel as she turned to scan the crowd discreetly.

"They are by the King." Nimphel nodded towards the front of the room, making Heather look back over at her sheepishly. Apparently her skills at being sneaky were a bit rusty. "Go on." The elleth urged her with a gentle nudge in their direction. "I am sure they wish to see you as well."

Sending a grateful smile at her friend, Heather turned and slipped through the crowd. Several Elves stopping her to say hello or ask if she tried the wine as she made her way towards where she could now see two familiar heads of fair hair. Over the months she had gotten to know many of the people there, mainly the archers in training and apparently they were all impressed with her skill.

Not something she really expected, but she couldn't deny the fact it made her glow with pride in herself whenever someone said something to her about it. Stopping, she smiled at a couple of the younger ellon that came up to her with grins on their faces. "Hello, Suidan, Beleg." (Manly, Strong*)

"Heather, I promised Suidan you would dance your first with me tonight." Beleg tipped his head politely, an obviously hopeful gleam in his eyes when he looked back up at her. "Will you tell him it is so?"

"No, brother, she will dance her first with me." Suidan shook his head and offered a smile at her when Heather raised an eyebrow at their antics, strongly reminded of her twin brothers back home when she looked at the two of them. Suidan was older than Beleg by at least thirty years, however they were so closely alike it was hard to tell they weren't twins at all.

"Sorry, but I haven't even said hello-" She started only to be cut off by a hand landing on her shoulder. "Heather." Closing her eyes, she shook her head and offered an apologetic smile at the two ellon then turned to look up at Legolas wryly. "I was trying to make my way over to you."

"I can see this." He smiled, eyes dancing with laughter as he took in her appearance. The haunted look in her eyes long gone, replaced by happiness he desperately wished to see when he left. "It is good to see you." He added, holding out a hand to her so he could lead her back to where his Father and I'yeste stood.

"It's good to see you in one piece." She retorted, earning a head-shake and crooked smile in return. "You've been talking to others."

"And you have a habit of getting into trouble." Heather snorted, coming to a stop with him once they reached the small group.

"I do think it is you that has a habit of finding trouble, Heather." Legolas raised an eyebrow at her, watching her face color in embarrassment and her eyes dart away from him.

"Father tells me you have taken up the bow again."

This time a wide smile spread across her face as she turned to look up at him and I'yeste. "Yes, and I've already begun training with the rings." She stated simply, taking the glass Thranduil handed her with a nod of thanks before turning to face them again, her smile faltering at the astonished expressions on their faces.

"What?"

"I believe they are surprised you have not tried to... 'Bite my head off' as you so often put it, _Ova-Elle_." Thranduil commented idly, coming to stand beside her with a glass of his own and eyeing Legolas and I'yeste with amusement.

"Oh... Yeah." Turning to look up at the King, Heather shrugged and took a sip of the wine, another appreciative hum slipping past her lips as she did.

"Do you like it?" Turning to her, Thranduil watched his Son from the corner of his eyes as both ellon watched the two of them in absolute surprise while they spoke. Heather grinned up at him and swished the wine around idly. "It's possibly the best I've ever tasted." She said honestly, lifting the glass up to her lips once more. "I can see why everyone is indulging."

Legolas fought the urge to rub his eyes at the sight before him. His Ada and Heather conversing normally, no hidden barbs or underhanded comments. Turning to look at I'yeste, he spied a similar expression of surprise on his face as well. Good, it wasn't just him then.

"You're training with the rings now?" I'yeste drew Heather from her idle chat with Thranduil and over to him, a small smile on his lips when she looked up at him, obvious pride on her face. "Yes..." Then her smile faltered and she looked down at the glass in her hand. "However I can't shoot through one yet. I keep breaking them."

A surprised bark of laughter slipped from I'yeste, startling her into looking back up at him with wide eyes. "It is a minor miracle you can hit one at all, Heather." He assured her, placing a hand on her arm lightly and earning a small smile. "It took me many weeks to do so."

Heather blinked and furrowed her brow. "Weeks?"

Legolas drank from his own glass, watching her quietly for a moment. "She managed to do so within a few hours of starting training with them." Thranduil finally offered up, clearing the slight confusion I'yeste held from her question.

Blinking, he stared wide-eyed down at a now very shy Heather as she shifted on her feet nervously. "But I keep breaking them." She added, refusing to look up at the stares she could just feel pressing on her skin from her two friends.

"Heather, I trained for several weeks on the rings before I could even manage to break one." I'yeste finally said slowly, suddenly understanding just why so many of the training archers spoke of her when he arrived home.

"Oh." Flicking her gaze up at him, Heather offered a small smile up at him and took another drink of the wine and turning away, still embarrassed under the stares. "I guess that makes sense..."

"Heather, you have a true talent." Legolas assured her, a smile tugging at his lips. It would explain why his father stated he began training her while they were away. It was something he could claim himself as being the only one, if he saw enough potential in her to offer training then she had to be skilled in a rare way.

"A talent for shooting a bow perhaps." She snorted lightly, finally looking up at them with a slight frown. "However I have no talent when it comes to avoiding people."

Raising an eyebrow, I'yeste shared a look with Legolas at her sudden shift in attitude. Thranduil however covered up a soft laugh with a cough and turned away from them to disappear into the crowd, leaving the three of them on their own.

"Pardon?" I'yeste finally asked, making her blink up at him and lift one shoulder up in a half shrug. "I keep being asked to train with the other archers. I keep telling them no, but they won't listen."

"Ah..." Legolas finally understood. It was agreed in the beginning when they started training her, she wasn't sure she could even hold a bow correctly much less shoot it. It became normal for her to practice without a large crowd around her.

I'yeste chuckled and took her empty glass, placing it on a nearby table and offered his arm to her. "Come, _Amin Me'a_. Honor me with a dance." He tossed a grin over at Legolas as he lead a now-blushing Heather out into the crowd of elves. The unspoken agreement for him to find his father and talk to him about what exactly went on while they were off babysitting dwarves passing between the two of them.

Turning away with a shake of his head, he brushed off the idle thought of wishing to speak with the two of them longer and went to find his Ada. He wanted the full story this time, not only bits here and there like he heard not long after they arrived with the group of Dwarves in tow.

Of course, after his father dealt with the leader, he returned after throwing it into one of the cells below to speak with his father before the celebration started.

They both agreed that it would be best not to mention their 'guests' to her. Considering how much trouble it was for her after the Orc, he could only imagine her reaction to finding out about the Dwarves.

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 **This chapter is dedicated to _Lunarose jodes_ for being simply fantastic!**


	23. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **So, here's the next chapter. A few things:**

 **Bold is English**

 _ **Bold Italic is Common**_

 **Remember I'm replacing common with gibberish to make things interesting. Though, I've been keeping tabs on what I used for the words I replaced them with so it stays somewhat familiar.**

 **Other than that, I have nothing left to say. Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other OCs and the plot**

 **~TL**

 **~ * ~ REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW ~ * ~**

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Laughing brightly, Heather spun around I'yeste, attempting to follow his footwork as he tried to teach her how to dance like the others. "I don't think I'm cut out for this..." She stumbled slightly and gripped his arms tightly to keep from falling.

"Quick feet make a fine warrior, Amin Me'a. I will make you a fighter yet." I'yeste chuckled and helped her straighten up, slowing his movements so she could follow them better. "Do not allow your feet to get ahead of you. Follow closely to how they move." He instructed, eyes glancing down at her unsure steps.

Heather nodded and bit her lower lip in concentration, carefully following along with him. Smiling softly, I'yeste spun her around again and watched her face light up in laughter once more. The elf she was now a complete opposite of who she was before they left. So unsure and tired, worn thin from the constant nightmares.

Pulling her back, he wrapped an arm around her waist and grinned when she looked up with laughter on her lips. "I would assume it is safe to believe you are enjoying the celebration?" He finally asked, slowing down with the music as it changed to a softer tune.

Scrunching her nose slightly, Heather snorted through it playfully and lightly slapped his shoulder. "No, I absolutely hate it, that's why I'm having this much fun."

Leaning closer, he rested his forehead against hers with a chuckle. "I would hate to see you truly enjoy yourself then, Amin Me'a." Heather rolled her eyes and closed them, swaying gently along with the music as I'yeste lead her around the fire pit with the others that still danced.

"Heather... Have you given my offer any thought?" Heather frowned slightly, suddenly feeling like she had been put on the spot. "I'yeste-"

"As I have said, I do not need an answer now. I can wait." He cut her off gently and pulled back so he could look down at her face, smile still in place. "But I will not give in."

Sighing softly, Heather smiled up at him and patted his cheek lightly. "I know, I'yeste, I just don't know anything about that... I'm still finding myself as it were." He let out a small sigh and ran a hand through her hair lightly. "Very well."

The music picked up again, leading him to spin her around with a sudden smile. "Let us enjoy ourselves to the fullest then." With a laugh Heather, twirled around with more grace than she thought possible in herself only to be caught by another pair of hands. Looking up, she raised an eyebrow at Nimphel as the elleth laughed at her expression. "Come, Heather, dance!" Grabbing her hands, she lead her around the fire in a wild prance several other elves joined in on.

Twirling, Heather let her feet lead her around the pit, switching from one elf's hand to another as she made her way around, a bright smile on her face when she caught sight of Legolas standing off to the side. Sharing a look with Nimphel when they passed each other going in the opposite direction, she nodded discreetly towards the elven prince and earned a playful grin from the maid.

Switching spots, Heather hooked her arm with Legolas's as she passed him, dragging him into the dance with her. Grinning up at him, she laughed at his expression and passed the elf to another as they passed. Hooking arms with Nimphel, they twirled around and split apart, the steps I'yeste tried to teach her suddenly becoming easier.

Circling around the fire once more, she hooked arms with Legolas again and spun around with another laugh. "I don't think I've had this much fun in a long time." She finally said, grinning up at him as he grinned back. "Thank you for bringing me here, Legolas. Truly."

They stopped as the music died down, Heather wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Smiling softly, he wrapped his arms around her as well and rested his chin on her head. "Your happiness is worth the trouble we encountered coming here." He admitted, making her slap his arm lightly and back up.

"Legolas, your father wishes to speak with you." A young elleth walked up and stopped beside him, curious eyes taking in Heather before turning to him. Her hair a bright red close in color to Heather's own. "Of course." Legolas turned to go then stopped and looked over at Heather. "Heather, meet Tariel, one of the best in our party." He smiled and disappeared into the crowd in search of Thranduil.

Heather smiled shyly at the elleth and dipped her head in greeting. "Hello..." The Elleth smiled back at Heather and dipped her head back to her. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Legolas and I'yeste spoke often of you."

"Don't listen to a thing they say." Came Heather's automatic response, earning a loud laugh from the other elf and blushing once she realized what she said. "Sorry, it's habit..."

"They only said good things of you." Tariel assured her as they walked to the side where tables of food were sitting. "I do believe I'yeste wishes to court you." She added, making Heather choke on the grape she just ate. "Wh- what makes you say that?" She finally managed to gasp out, tears in her eyes.

Tariel chuckled and handed her a glass of wine to help clear her throat out. "Other than your reaction, the way he spoke of you. As if you could do no wrong." She smiled gently at Heather when she shifted on the spot, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. "It is a blessing truly to have one so devoted to you."

"I don't wish to court anyone." Heather sighed, taking another drink of the wine and set it aside with a frown. "I'm still deciding just what kind of person I am."

Tariel hummed thoughtfully and turned her gaze towards the group, catching sight of Legolas as he motioned towards the door with his head. Nodding slightly, she looked back towards Heather with another smile. "Perhaps one day you will come to a decision." Reaching out, she placed a hand on Heather's shoulder. "Until then, enjoy his attentions. For now, I must go."

"Oh. Alright." Blinking in surprise at the sudden change, she grinned up at the elleth. "It was a pleasure to meet you. At least there's another elf around here with bright red hair like me." Tariel laughed and shook her head lightly. "Until we meet again, Heather."

"Goodnight." She called as the warrior elf disappeared out the door. Shaking her own head, she smiled to herself and picked up her wine for another sip. Lifting it up, she paused and frowned at the glass. Despite Legolas's boasts at elves having a high tolerance for alcohol earlier, she already felt a slight buzzing in her head. Putting it down, she took a breath and rubbed at the bridge of her nose.

"Are you alright?" Looking over, she smiled wryly at I'yeste and shook her head. "I do believe I have a rather low tolerance for this wine."

He chuckled and held out a hand to her. "Perhaps a walk?" Looking up at him, Heather smiled softly. "I'll go, you enjoy the celebration. It's for your scouting party after all. What would they do without you here?"

Leaning over, he took a strand of her hair and fiddled with it. "I would not mind." Blushing slightly, Heather stepped back and tucked her hair behind her ears. "It's fine. I'll just go for a walk and come right back. You have fun." Turning around, she beat a hasty retreat and stopped just outside of the door. Resting a hand on her chest, she took a deep breath to calm her heart down from the sudden pounding race it took off in.

It wasn't good for her heart to have someone that attractive put that much attention on her. She may not be willing to court anyone at this moment, but she'd have to be blind not to be affected by him. Running a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath and straightened up.

Glancing around, she picked a random direction and started walking. Over the last few weeks she had gotten a bit better at not becoming lost while walking through the halls. At most she could at least walk from her room to the dining area without getting turned around.

With that logic, she walked with a little more confidence than usual. With everyone at the celebration, the halls were empty aside of a few guards heading to change with the ones on duty. Nodding at a few she recognized, she smiled to herself and turned a corner, heading down a set of stairs she thought she recognized.

 _ **"N yure tuba hu nee tr."**_ (A powerful spell lies upon it.)

Pausing at a ledge, Heather frowned at the unfamiliar language and peered over the edge, catching sight of red hair standing beside a cage of some sort. _'Tariel?'_ Crouching down, she squinted her eyes and studied the cage, catching sight of movement inside.

 _ **"Iee nra veran N Drawren mera num kruk ev grune wren..."**_ (If any but a Dwarf reads the runes on this stone...) A hand shot into view, fingers wrapped around something shining under the dull lights. _**"Reb hava mi grauen crat."**_ (They will be forever cursed.) Tariel stepped back and straightened up, a decidedly worried look on her face as she turned to leave.

 _ **"Pr mare."**_ (Or not) The figure shifted slightly, the light washing over it's- now his, face as he looked up at Tariel when she turned back to him. _**"Drawuen ev haret yi crena om reb tren ar oper."**_ (Depending on whether you believe in that kind of thing.) He tossed the thing up into the air and caught it, a slight smile on his face as he looked up at Tariel. _**"Tr ur gren N fraw."**_ (It is just a token.)

Furrowing her brow, Heather slipped back and stealthily made her way farther down towards the cages she just now realized were cells. Several of them had figures sitting inside from what she could see. All of them rather small, even in comparison to herself as the shortest elf she knew.

Coming to a stop, she paused at the edge of the walkway Tariel stood on, still speaking with the man inside in that strange language.

 _ **"Kear trune?"**_ (What promise?) The elleth asked curiously, leaning closer to the bars as she spoke with him. He looked at the stone, a wistful expression on his face. _**"Reb Ha urem haver nat uen nae."**_ (That I would come back to her.) He grinned suddenly and leaned back. _**"Sie urren."**_ (She worries.) He tossed the stone again. _**"Sie talenm Ha ne wrentel."**_ (She thinks I'm reckless.) Tossing it again, he missed the stone and it clattered out of the cage towards the ledge.

He jerked forward and gripped the bars of the cage as Tariel stopped it with her foot and picked it up, turning the stone around in her hand thoughtfully before handing it back. _**"Ber yi?"**_ (Are you?)

 _ **"Nuen."**_ (Nah) He smiled and turned to look up at the ceiling before finally catching sight of Heather standing down at the other end and frowned. _**"Wre ur reb?"**_ (Who is that?) He nodded in her direction, making Tariel look over at her with a surprised look on her face.

"Heather?" The elleth walked over to her and tipped her head to the side as the shorter elf glanced at the occupied cells with a sad expression. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask the same about them." She nodded at the few men that moved closer to the bars to get a look at her. "What on earth happened?"

Tariel glanced back over at the dwarf she had been talking to and let out a small huff of air. Legolas had warned her to not mention the dwarves being kept prisoner, and she still found out about them. Taking her arm, she lead her over to the cell and gently pushed her to sit on a nearby rock. "They are the king's prisoners."

 _ **"Kear ber yi yuerren nae?"**_ (What are you telling her?) The dwarf asked curiously, watching Heather scowl at the elf's words. Tariel glanced at him with a small smile and turned back to Heather. "What exactly do you mean by prisoners?" Looking up, blue eyes sparked with a fire as she stared Tariel down.

Now she understood why the prince insisted on this elf not finding out. She may be small, but that fire was something she did not enjoy being the target of. Shifting slightly on her feet, Tariel looked at the other cells with a small sigh. "They were found in the forest of the King, Heather. They trespassed."

"And so you lock them up? Did any of you bother asking if they were planning anything or if they were just going to keep going?" Tariel frowned at her, of course they didn't. They were dwarves, they would have just lied if they did indeed plan on attacking.

"That is not-"

"It is too, Tariel, and I think you know that." Standing up, Heather brushed down her clothes and stepped up to the bars of the cell, looking down at the dwarf as he backed up a few steps, not exactly thrilled to be the target of her ire. _**"Kear ur sie renem?"**_ (What is she saying?) He asked Tariel nervously as the other elf looked him up and down thoughtfully.

 _ **"Sie spen om nae yuek uen gremen wu.**_ " (She speaks in her tongue to confuse us.) Another voice spoke up, drawing Heather's attention to another cell with a scowling face looking out at her. Raising an eyebrow, she shot a look at Tariel in question. "What's his problem?"

Narrowing her eyes on the dwarf, she stepped up to stand beside Heather, a hand on her shoulder. _**"Sie dom prue spenu Cromenn."**_ (She does not speak Common.)

 _ **"N heru bellen."**_ (A likely story.) He scoffed and stepped back into the shadow of his cell, refusing to even look their way, even as Heather walked up and knelt outside his cage with a frown. "I do not understand you, sorry." She murmured, knowing full well he most likely had no idea what she was saying either.

"Lass." Another voice, this one kinder caught her attention. A white beard and hair surrounded a gentle face that peered out at her. "You cannot speak the common?" He asked hesitantly, each word stilted as he stumbled over the language.

"You speak elvish?" Heather grinned wide, ignoring Tariel's surprised expression as she moved over to stand in front of his cell. "Only little." He shrugged and looked up at her with a smile of his own.

"At least I can talk to one of you though." Settling down, she crossed her legs and leaned her arms on them with a sudden frown. "Why are you here?"

"First, tell this. You are..." He paused, frowning in thought before his face cleared and he nodded to himself. "Upset over this?" He waved a hand around to indicate the others still in their cells around him.

"Of course!" Heather clenched her fists, a dark look passing over her face. "I don't see the point."

"Point? What point?" He wrapped his hands around the bars and leaned closer, curious about the elf despite the warning looks he could feel Thorin throwing his way.

"You do not deserve to be in here just for walking through a forest."

Sitting back in surprise, he eyed the she elf thoughtfully. There were hardly any elves who would be so angry over a few Dwarves being put into cells. In fact, if they had not come to Rivendell peacefully and with Gandalf, he was sure the elves there may have imprisoned them, if only to keep them from continuing on their quest.

Yet here this young elf sat, full of anger _for_ them. Not at them, and to say it was surprising would be an understatement. Humming to himself, he watched her expression change from anger to a quiet sadness as she looked around at the cells, a small frown tugging at her lips as the other elf and Kili spoke quietly to each other in the background.

"Tell me. You do not... Anger dwarves?" Balin grimaced slightly, knowing the wording was wrong as soon as he said it. Heather raised an eyebrow at him and held back a smile. So this must have been what she sounded like when she first began learning Elvish. "Anger? Do you mean angry at dwarves?"

"Yes, I think." He mumbled, embarrassed as she giggled softly and shifted closer to the bars with a smile. "No, you are the same."

Now that would be new. Balin turned to look at her incredulously. They were definitely not the same, the height alone would tell that. She laughed softly at his expression and reached a hand out slowly to rest it against his chest, over his heart. "This is the same, yes?"

Now he understood, a smile breaking across his face as he nodded his head. "Yes, it is."

"Then you do not deserve this... This... **Bullshit."** She growled, moving back and standing up, pacing back and forth as she muttered under her breath in a strange language he never heard before. "Lass." He called out, getting her attention again. "Your upset is... Accepted. But it does no well." He murmured, reaching out a patting her had as she settled it on one of the bars with a sad frown.

"No good." She corrected him absentmindedly, remembering when Legolas had issues with her language.

Then it hit her. Legolas returned today, earlier than expected. They were the only scouting party and the dwarves were taken by elves in the forest.

Her grip tightened around the bar, her knuckles turning white as she stared sightlessly in front of her, not seeing the worried look the older dwarf was giving her. "That... That... That bastard." She hissed, straightening up and clenching her fists at her sides.

 _ **"Balin, kear ur sie renem?"**_ (Balin, what is she saying?) The other dwarf from before moved forward, curious despite himself as he eyed the young elf as she glared at the air. _**"Ha tae tru yuec."**_ (I do not know.) Balin rubbed his beard thoughtfully, watching Heather mumble under her breath before clearing his throat. "What bothers?"

Turning to look at him, Heather let out a long sigh and knelt outside his cell. "I know who put you in here. I saw him as my friend." She explained quietly, making him click his tongue in sympathy.

"Heather." Stiffening in surprise, Heather closed her eyes and took a calming breath in before standing up once more and turning to face Legolas with a frown. "What are you doing here?" He asked, eyes flicking to the cell she stood in front of then back to her with a frown. "You should not be down-"

"Oh, trust me, I know why I shouldn't be here." She snapped, making him blink and resist the urge to step back as she advanced on him. Poking his chest with her finger, she glowered up at him. "Is this why everyone's celebrating upstairs? Catching a few helpless dwarves lost in the woods? Oh how proud you all must be."

"Heather, you have no-"

 **"Don't tell me what I have no 'whatever' to!"** She shouted, switching to English in her anger. "This is wrong, Legolas. This is just wrong and pathetic and I will not have any part in this." She added in a softer voice, easily slipping back into elvish as she slowly calmed down enough to keep her anger in check.

"Then it is good you do not." Thranduil stepped into view, his gaze cold as he stared at her without a single hint to whatever emotion he had. "In fact, you do not have any rights to be here. By law, I could throw you in a cell as well for being so rude to my son."

Her eyes flashed at what he said as she stared up at the king. "Fine." Turning on her heel, she stalked to an empty cell and swung the door open before stepping inside and slamming it shut behind her. "There, now I'm out of the way. Go on, go back to your little party and leave me alone."

"Heather!" Legolas stepped forward and tried to open the door only to have her slap his hands away. "No, Legolas. You lock them up for being different, then you might as well keep me in here too. Considering I don't actually live here." Her eyes flickered at the double meaning behind her words. His father had no idea of her true origins, but Legolas knew what she spoke of.

"Heather..."

"Don't. Just... Don't." She frowned at him, fighting back tears as they suddenly sprang forward. "You're so different from what I thought you were, Legolas. I can safely say I'm ashamed to know you." Turning her back, she folded her arms and ignored them.

"Heather-"

"Leave her. She will come out when she has had enough of her theatrics." Thranduil cut him off and turned away. "Come, Legolas." Walking forward, he stopped beside Tariel. "Do not leave them alone." She glanced up at him in question only to see his back as he continued up the steps.

"Please, listen to reason." Legolas pleaded with Heather once more only to receive silence instead. With a sigh, he backed up and turned away, moving to follow his father only to stop when her voice came from behind. "I want to go home."

Closing his eyes, he nodded his head before straightening up once more. "Of course, I will have an escort ready in the morning."

"No, I want to go home now. I can't stand the sight of you or your father right now, Legolas. I'm leaving with or without an escort." A soft clang signaled Heather stepping out from her cell. Stopping beside Balin's cell, she turned and smiled sadly at him, reaching a hand through the bars and clasping it around one of his. "Please, forgive me."

"There is nothing to." He reassured her with a smile of his own. "Do not fret, Lass." He added when she wiped at her face with her other hand. Heather chuckled sadly and glanced down at her wrist where a bracelet of wooden beads sat. One her brothers made for her before she left. Reaching up, she slipped it off of her wrist and put it in his hand, gently closing his fingers around it. "Take this so you remember there is an Elf who does not see you as anything other than who you are." Looking up into her eyes, he smiled gently and squeezed her hand with his. "An honor." He murmured back as she pulled away and turned around, following Legolas as he lead the way out of the dungeons.

"What did she say?" Fili asked as soon as they were out of sight. Balin looked down at the bracelet with a soft chuckle before tucking it away for safekeeping. "She said that no matter where we are, she will never see us as anything but ourselves."

"Why would she say that?" This time Dwalin asked, the tone of his voice indicating a frown. "Because, my friend. It would seem she does not find any difference between our races. All of us have one heart as it is."

"Hmph, nonsense. Strange elves have no use to us." Thorin snorted, making the others mutter under their breaths. Chuckling, Balin settled down in his cell, staring up at the stone ceiling above him as the others muttered to each other about what he said. What a strange elf indeed.


	24. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **Alright, alright, I know! I've been horrible and mean and you all deserve to throw rocks at me because of how long it took me to get this up.**

 **I really have no other excuse other than I've been lazy and between work and playing my new Switch (ZELDA!) I've been horrible at updating.**

 **Now then, other than me begging for forgiveness, I won't keep you waiting any longer!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, the plot and other Ocs**

 **~TL**

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Picking up the dress she wore her first day there, Heather held back a sigh and laid it out neatly on the bed for Nimphel to find when she comes to clean the room after she left.

Closing her eyes, she sat on the edge of the bed with a frown. She ran into the maid not long after Legolas lead her back out of the dungeons. Eyes sparkling with good humor until they took in the expressions on both of their faces. It didn't take long to explain to her she was leaving and have the poor elleth's smile disappear completely.

A hug and several tears were shed between the Elf's wishing she could stay longer. Heather couldn't really be upset with her over what happened. No more than she could blame the whole species of dog because one killed a cat.

Rubbing her hands over her face, she looked up and eyed the bow propped against the wall across from her and felt a scowl take form on her face. She still never found out who exactly left it for her, but it was someone here that knew her to the extent that they knew she was thinking about archery lessons.

Standing up, she walked over and brushed her fingers along the wood gently, once again marveling at the carvings cut into it. Picking it up, she took her stance and drew the string, simply holding it back so she could feel the burn in her muscle. It was one she grew to enjoy every day she trained. It reminded her she had strength enough to fight should it come down to it.

Relaxing her muscle, she let the string return to it's former position and turned to settle the bow on her bed, on top of the dress with a shake of her head. She wouldn't accept it, anyone she was close to had something to do with the Dwarves down below, and she couldn't take it.

"You plan on leaving it then?"

Whirling around, Heather leveled a glare on Thranduil where he stood in her doorway. "I don't want it."

"It was a gift." He continued, stepping into the room and looking around before settling his gaze on her, a slight frown tugging his lips.

"Gift or not." Turning away from him, she resumed packing her things into a bag. "I don't want a gift from someone who is clearly short-sighted."

Thranduil stood there a moment, just watching her as she finished shoving various items into her bag before moving forward to take up the bow with a practiced hand. "I remember when Legolas held this bow himself so many years ago." He commented idly, fingers trailing along the carvings in the wood gently.

Heather's hands froze in the act of tying the straps shut, eyes widening slightly at the new information. "Still a child and still insisted on showing his Ada he could shoot with the rest." Thranduil's voice changed to affection as he stepped away from the bed, eyes moving from the wood and up to her face in contemplation. "However once he grew old enough, he made his own and left this one to gather dust."

Refusing to look up at him, Heather stared down at her hands in thought. The faint memory of Legolas holding the bow with a confused frown on his face and saying he thought it looked familiar.

"After such, his Mother took and carved his achievements into the wood." A finger trailed long the wood once more, pausing over a rather large one depicting several arrowheads bundled around a larger one. "She was so very proud of him."

"Wh-" Heather cleared her throat and finally looked over at the King as he gazed at the bow in his hands with a certain fondness in his eyes. "Why do I have it then?"

Sharp eyes looked up at her question. "I did not wish to have it sit and gather dust any longer. He will not use it and neither will I." Moving forward, he stopped a few feet in front of her and held the bow out. "I wish for it to be used by someone who can appreciate the work put into it." He added quietly as Heather reached out to take it from him hesitantly.

Looking up from the wood, Heather eyed the king as he turned his gaze away from her once more, deep in thought. "The paintings-"

"Yes, my beloved loved all forms of art." He murmured, turning away from Heather as he walked to the door once more. Pausing just inside of it, he placed a hand on the frame and glanced over his shoulder at Heather. "Keep it, _Ova-Elle_. It is my gift to you." With that, he left, his near-silent footfalls reaching her ears before he moved too far away for her to hear.

Looking down at the wood in her hands, Heather chewed her lower lip before wrapping her arms around the bow and held it to her chest with a sad sigh, eyes closing as she held it close. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Shifting the bag higher up on her shoulder, Heather pursed her lips and eyed the ellon standing in front of her nervously. "Did he tell you then?"

I'yeste tipped his head forward slightly in a nod, still refusing to look up at her as Heather sighed and waved a hand. "Let's get this over with then." Another silent nod from her companion before he turned to lead the way out the gates of the halls.

Stopping just outside of them, she turned just enough to gaze up at them thoughtfully. She felt welcome here up until she found the Dwarves. It was for the best for his father not to find out she wasn't exactly who everyone assumed she was.

If he treated Dwarves like this, then she could only imagine how he would treat a human-turned-elf. With a shake of her head, she turned back around and followed I'yeste into the trees, not exactly looking forward to being lost in them.

Days passed as they made their way back towards Imladris, the silence only being broken when one or the other asked if their companion needed something. Before long they stood at the foot of the same mountains she and Legolas passed through themselves. Staring up at them, Heather was struck by how she didn't feel the stares like she had all those days ago.

"We will pass through another path rather than the one you took with Legolas." I'yeste spoke up, gaining her attention once more. Nodding her head, she cast another stare up at the mountains before following him along the path he lead them down. "He said I had problems with it?"

"He explained you did not fit..." He cleared his throat, embarrassed when Heather shot him an unamused look. "We believe this one will be easier on you."

"Good, I don't exactly like having my skin rubbed off." Heather muttered under her breath, wincing at the memory while they made their way into the mountain. "How long will it take?"

"Only two days." I'yeste called over his shoulder, ducking his head down to avoid a rocky outcropping. "There is a cave we will rest in come nightfall."

"Alright." They both fell silent once more, giving Heather the space to wander over her memories of this place once more. Each step forward bringing up a different one and making her scowl slightly. How couldn't she have known how he was? Was she really that damn blind not to see he was prejudiced?

Furrowing her brow, she pulled up several conversations she had with him over the time she spent with the elf. No... It wasn't hard to believe she missed it. He never gave a single indication of how he viewed Dwarves.

Then again, she didn't know that Dwarves even existed here so they couldn't bring it up as a topic either. Rubbing a hand over her face, she glanced up at I'yeste's back where he walked in front of her. She didn't know I'yeste was the same either until after she found out it was Legolas's party that caught the Dwarves.

To say the way she saw these elves was changed would be an understatement really. She wasn't impressed by them anymore, she was upset and slightly disgusted with how they did things when it came down to it.

All she wanted now was to go home and hide in her bed for a good long time. Maybe after a few days she'd feel better. It was doubtful, but she couldn't help but hope anyhow.

* * *

Glancing up, Heather watched I'yeste step back into the cave with a armful of wood. "Any problems out there?"

"No, it is strangely quiet." He frowned and shot a look over his shoulder before settling the wood down against the wall and sitting down himself, the firelight reflecting off of his face as he stared out the opening.

"Maybe they're off doing something." Heather suggested, feeding a small stick into the flames and watching the flames lick against the edges thoughtfully. "I'm sure they have lives outside of the mountains."

"Yes, that is what worries me." He turned to look at Heather and spied the piece of lembas sitting beside her. "You haven't eaten?"

"Not hungry." She shook her head and turned away, moving her pack up slightly and laying her head against it. "Wake me up when we're ready to move out again."

"Heather-"

"Just wake me up when you're ready to go, I'yeste." She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to ignore him as he shifted around behind her. She wasn't lying when she said she wasn't hungry. Really, she didn't feel like eating anything right now, she still felt sick over the people she thought were her friends.

Shifting slightly against the hard ground, she tried to find a comfortable position. It wasn't the first time she came across friends like this before though. She frowned and rubbed at her nose lightly. She had plenty of people call her their friend to her face and then stab her in the back later on down the road. This isn't even as extreme as that and yet she felt sick whenever she thought about it.

She just wanted to curl up and be alone for a while, was that too much to ask?

Ignoring the twinge of pain in her chest, she curled up tighter and tried to fall asleep. The faster they got to Imladris, the better.

* * *

Several days later found Heather and I'yeste standing at the edge of the very forest her home resided in, bringing a weak smile to her lips as she stared up at the familiar trees. "Home..." Shifting the bow higher on her shoulder, she huffed out a low breath and started walking again, ducking under the welcoming shade of the trees.

I'yeste kept pace with her quietly, watching the elleth from the corner of his eyes with mounting worry. Over the course of their trip, she rarely ate, if she did it was only a bite or two before putting the food away again.

Then there were her sleeping habits. Legolas did mention she slept more than what elves were accustomed to, however any time they rested, she slept. Then when they walked, she walked along with the air of someone who was exhausted. Saying no more than a few words when they spoke then returning to silence once more. With all of this, the warning bells in the back of his mind were beginning to ring.

"Heather, perhaps a moment to rest?" He asked quietly, earning a sharp look from the elf. "I merely suggest this because you seem tired." He added quickly when she narrowed her eyes. That was another thing, her temper was short... Shorter than usual anyhow. He understood she was upset over the dwarves for some reason, however...

"You are not yourself."

Heather snorted at that and shook her head, a hand tightening on the strap of her pack slightly. "I'm fine. I just want to return home before nightfall." Flicking her eyes upward, she studied the light filtering through the leaves overhead. "And if we keep moving at this pace, we should get there by then." With that, she picked up the pace to move ahead of I'yeste without another word.

Deciding it would be best to keep the peace, he fell silent and trailed along behind her, near-silent footfalls filling the quiet around them. Birds sang softly overhead as they trudged along through the trees, choosing to stay on the path for the time being.

Blinking her eyes a few times, Heather rubbed at the point between her eyes with a small frown. The headache she had managed to ignore until now had decided to throb with a particularly sharp pain. A soft beat sounding deafening to her ears as she walked along. The filtering sun suddenly feeling hot on her head. Glancing ahead, she frowned at the slight haze hovering in the trees.

 _'Might have rained before we got here...'_ She sighed softly, looking around quickly before turning forward again. Maybe a moment of rest couldn't hurt. She was feeling rather tired, but the thought of her bed at home kept her feet moving and her mouth shut rather than stopping like she was starting to want.

"Heather-" I'yeste started, making her jump slightly from the sudden blast of noise from behind. Turning startled eyes over her shoulder, she ignored the throb of pain in her head and frowned at his worried expression. "What?"

"I am not suggesting a rest this time, I would like for you to sit and eat." He stated firmly, his shoulders squared back as he watched her. "I will not take no for an answer."

"I'yeste-"

"Sit, Heather..." He paused and studied her drawn face with a small smile. "Please."

With a huff, she shook her head and plopped unceremoniously to the ground where she stood, legs and arms crossing in obvious frustration. Deciding to ignore her silent protest, I'yeste sat across from her and dug out a piece of Lembas from his bag and held it out to her. "You have yet to eat something today." He said softly when she eyed the offered food curiously.

"Oh... I didn't- I guess I forgot." Heather frowned softly, reaching out to take the food, brows drawn together in thought as she unwrapped it and nibbled on a corner. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against a nearby tree, a wave of exhaustion washing over her suddenly. Rubbing at the point between her eyes again, she forced herself to take a few more bites of the bread before wrapping it back up and handing it back to I'yeste.

"Would you mind if I slept for a moment?" She finally sighed out, unable to ignore the muscles already beginning to relax as she leaned against the tree once more. The ellon eyed her quietly for a moment then nodded his head. "I will keep watch."

"There's-" She yawned suddenly, eyes tearing up slightly from the force behind it before continuing. "There's nothing to worry about in these woods, I'yeste."

"All the same." He smiled at her as she rolled her eyes and closed them before leaning against the tree fully, arms crossing over her stomach while she drifted off into sleep once more. When he was sure she was indeed sleeping, the smile fell from his face, replaced with a worried frown. From the look on her face, she seemed exhausted, indeed with the way she fell asleep, it would seem she had not slept at all the night before.

But... She slept, right after eating what little she did, she fell asleep and nearly refused to wake in the morning, a few hours after the usual time they would set back out. This tiredness of hers was not normal, but he could not think of what it could be.

Sitting there watching her, I'yeste studied the slight frown on her face as she shifted in her sleep, a hand reaching up to rub against her chest lightly before dropping down to her lap once more.

 _"Valar..."_ He breathed out suddenly, everything beginning to click into place as he watched her shift once more against the tree. Standing up, he moved over, a hand shaking her shoulder lightly. "Heather."

Mumbling something under her breath, she shifted away from him slightly. "Heather, it is time to wake." He said louder, worry beginning to make it's way through his thoughts when she refused to even acknowledge him this time. "Forgive me." He murmured quickly and lifted her into his arms, grabbed the bags and began walking quickly in the direction of Imladris.

After several failed attempts to wake her, I'yeste began running, silently cursing himself for not recognizing the signs earlier. Of course, he should have known this would happen. She was expressive and very emotional as it were. Looking up from her pale face, he breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the gateway leading into the city.

Rushing forward, he ran through it and looked around, trying to spot someone to help when the twins caught sight of him, curious smiles quickly replaced by worried expressions when they made their way over to him. "What is wrong with her?" One of them asked quickly while his brother took Heather from I'yeste's arms.

Swallowing slightly, he studied the two men as they looked her over carefully, searching for a wound or sickness when Elrond made his appearance beside them, his expression mirroring his sons' as he pressed a hand to her face, calling softly to Heather and turned to I'yeste when she didn't respond.

"Tell me why my daughter is Fading when she left in good health." He asked softly, refusing to show the anger that he felt at the sight of her like this. "Explain this to me."

I'yeste swallowed and bowed his head forward. "She... Found dwarves in the dungeon. It shocked her and..." He waved a hand at her prone form in Ellidan's arms helplessly. "She and Legolas fought, after which he requested I escort her back home."

Elrond's brow furrowed as he looked over at Heather again, it was understandable her surprise over how the Dwarves were treated, it wasn't very shocking to hear Thranduil had them locked away, however it was not his concern at the moment. But for her to fade?

"You said she fought with the prince-ling?" Elrohir asked suddenly, a frown gracing his features while he looked between his sister and I'yeste thoughtfully.

"Yes, it would seem they disagreed on how the dwarves were treated." Now I'yeste frowned in thought, gaze lingering on Heather's sleeping face. "It... was strange."

"Yes, I suspected she may have reacted as such should this happen." Elrond murmured, moving away towards the healing ward, both sons and I'yeste following behind him. "She is not used to seeing such treatment."

Stepping into an empty room, he gestured to the bed wordlessly, Elladan moving forward to lay her on it quickly and covering her with the sheet, carefully tucking it around her with care.

"With her past as it is, I am not truly surprised. However to hear she fought with Legolas over it..." Elrond frowned and leaned over her form, hands hovering over her chest and head. "Ada..." Elrohir said quietly, an unasked question lingering between them as they exchanged glances.

"Yes." He finally sighed and turned to I'yeste. "She is under our care now. With hope and rest, she may recover. However..." He frowned when both twins stepped forward, a stern look to the both of them making them stop. "I request you not tell Legolas of this. Despite the fight they had..." He glanced over at Heather when she shifted on the bed slightly, a frown tugging at her lips while she mumbled something before settling back down. "He would attempt to visit her, and it would only make her condition worsen."

Furrowing his brows, I'yeste eyed Heather in confusion before Elrond's meaning came clear, his mouth opening slightly in surprise before he closed his eyes and nodded. "Of course." Turning, he removed her bow and arrows from his shoulder and placed them on the table along with her bag. "A gift from an unknown elf in Greenwood." He explained when the three men eyed the weapon curiously. "She has become rather skilled." He added, looking back over at her with a slight smile.

"Please, tell me how she fairs." He stated finally, turning to the ellon with a slight frown. "I desire to know should anything... Happen."

Elrond dipped his head slightly at the Ellon. "Of course. My sons will see you out." Turning away, he returned to Heather's side, murmuring softly to her as he took her hand in his lightly, his focus on trying to heal her soul before it faded away completely.

With a final glance over at Heather, I'yeste turned and followed the twins out of the room and back outside. A small part of him wishing he could stay behind and help with her healing somehow, but it would be best if her family were the ones she woke to and he accepted that. For the time being she still viewed him as well as a majority of the Greenwood folk as unforgivable.

Though... Several new questions rose up during the small time he spent speaking with Elrond. Some of the things he said, they were laden with meaning he couldn't understand.

Turning to bow his head to the twins, he silently thanked them before moving out into the woods once more, heading back home. Hopefully Legolas would not attempt to ask him how Heather was when he left her with her family. He never could lie to the prince. Not even when they were younger.

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	25. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **Here I am! With yet another update, sort of boring and kind of slow, but some information in there you can't miss out on. Now that this chapter is finished, I can relax and just hope you guys enjoyed it because the beginning was a pain in my arse to write. I am so out of practice!**

 **In order to keep my Elvish up to par, I've decided to include at least one moment in each chapter where the characters speak only in the language. Sorry (Not really), but I don't want to loose what little I do know. Enjoy!**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys like this and I would LOVE some true insight to your thoughts! Give them to me, I love it when people pick things apart and detail it. Helps me get better at writing!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other oc's and the plot**

 **~TL**

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 _"Kuile,_ Heather." (Awake)

 _"Utu'Amin ooma..."_ (Follow my voice)

 _"Tul'n'alaquel a' lle nosse."_ (Come back to your family.)

 _"Lye feith'ten lle."_ (We wait for you.)

Heather groaned softly and squeezed her eyes shut against the light shining against them. To put it bluntly, she felt like crap, imagine going out and partying on new years eve, times that about ten and add fifteen shots of tequila to it and you'd have the same feeling she is.

A dull roaring muted the rest of the world around her, making the headache pounding away in her head worse than it already was. Though, with her disjointed thoughts scrambling to make sense of things again, it could be the headache was causing the roaring noise. Taking in a deep breath, she slowly opened her eyes, squinting them against the painful slants of sunlight filtering through the curtains in her room.

Though, thankfully, her bed was as soft as ever... Hold up.

Curtains... Bed... _Her_ room?

Ignoring the pain in her head, she shot upright in wide-eyed astonishment, immediately regretting it afterwards when the throbbing in her brain decided to skip right past rock hitting rock and straight onto jackhammer to the skull portion of headache pain. Letting out a soft groan, she leaned her head against her knees and closed her eyes, trying to push it away... Well at least to the point where she didn't feel like someone was attempting to rip her head open with a pair of pliers.

Suddenly a faint pressure made itself known on her person, familiar and itchy... She knew this feeling. Slowly lifting her head back up, Heather stared into the eyes of her Ada, tears filling hers with alarming intensity when a rush of emotion suddenly engulfed her. _"Ada..."_ She managed to whisper, a hand reaching over to him.

 _"Amin tinu..."_ (My daughter) He reached out and wrapped his hand gently around hers and sat on the bed beside Heather, allowing the young elleth to curl up against him and cry on his shoulder. Without saying a word, he simply ran a hand through her hair soothingly and listened to her half-sobs as she clutched the front of his tunic.

Minutes passed into an hour before Heather finally managed to calm down, her sobs becoming hitched breaths between shuddered sighs. When Elrond was certain she had calmed enough, he pulled back and tipped her head up so he could look at her face, the same gentle smile on his as he examined her. _"Fain'lle nwalma tuulo' Tel'hoon Natul' i'yeste vano a'quella."_ (Releasing sadness from the heart becomes the first step to heal from fading.)

Heather hiccuped slightly and frowned in confusion, taking the glass of water Elrond offered her. Wrinkling her eyebrows, she pondered over the new word she never learned. _"Quella?"_ (Fade, Fading)

He sat quietly for a moment, his gaze drifting from her and to the open windows, the curtains fluttering from a soft breeze. _"Quella mart'a Tel'Quessir iire tumba nwalma san'sen."_ (Fading happens to the people -Elves- when deep sadness takes them.) He turned back to look at her, a hand reaching up to brush her hair from her face, a sad look etched into his. _"Nir'um il'kuile tuulo' ta."_ (Many do not wake from it.)

Now that was something Heather could understand, her eyes widening when the realization hit her. Reaching up, she ran a hand through her hair lightly, trying to make sense of the situation. _"Amin yest'a Quella?"_ (I began to fade?)

Reaching out, Elrond laid his hand on top of her limp one sitting on her lap, regaining her attention once more. Looking up at him, she saw for the first time the marks of strain and stress around his eyes, the tight line to his lips and the pained look in his gaze. _"No,_ Heather. _Manka I'yeste um'n'uma kol'lle, lle aa' cael'fair."_ (Yes, Heather. If I'yeste did not carry you, you may have died.)

 _"Nan'sut?"_ (But how?) Turning her hand over, she wrapped it around Elrond's hand and stared down at them thoughtfully. Belatedly, she noticed just how thin her fingers were compared to his, her skin much too pale to be considered healthy. _"Amin um'il sint."_ (I do not know.)

 _"Amin neek..."_ (I see.)

"Heather..." Elrond prompted her to look back up at him again, a faint smile on his lips once more when she did. _"Lle toror ar' seler' mern'ele'lle."_ (Your brothers and sister want to see you.) Heather smiled at that and pulled her hands back gently to run them over her hair, attempting to make herself look presentable. Chuckling under his breath, Elrond stood up and held a hand out to her. _"Tolo."_ (Come.)

Raising an eyebrow, she put her hand into his and let the ellon pull her slowly to her feet. Once upright, Heather was struck with vertigo and swayed alarmingly. Reaching out, she rested her hand on his shoulder, eyes closed as she breathed slowly until it passed. _"Lle cael'kaima ten'nir're."_ (You have slept for many days.)

He hesitated for a moment, making Heather crack open an eye and look over at him curiously. He never hesitated unless it was something he knew wasn't exactly good. _"Lle aa'elelle cael... Natuln'ataya."_ (You may see you have... Become different.)

 _"N'ataya sut?"_ (Different how?) Heather finally straightened back up and frowned slightly at him, the faint headache returning after her brief bout of dizziness and making her thoughts fuzzy. Elrond smiled slightly and held out his arm for her to take without another word. **"Fine keep your secrets."** She sighed in English, making him laugh quietly under his breath as he lead her from the room and down the open hallways of the healing ward.

* * *

Arwen and the twins watched with mounting amusement as Heather gaped at herself in the mirror they had so kindly set up for her when she woke. Raising an eyebrow, Elladan bit back a laugh when she reached out with a single finger to poke at her reflection and jumped slightly when she realized that yes, the person she was seeing was indeed herself.

"Um..." Heather leaned closer and stared at herself with furrowed brows. "One question."

Arwen shot the twins a warning look when one of them opened his mouth to, no doubt, say something sarcastic and stepped up behind her sister. Reaching up, she gently brushed the younger elleth's hair behind her shoulders and began braiding it with quick, sure movements. _"Ada_ does not know." She finally said with some reluctance, eyes roaming over Heather's taller frame curiously.

"We've never had anyone show up from another world before." Elladan piped up, one shoulder raising in a shrug. "So we have nothing to compare this to." Elrohir added, his own shoulder, opposite of his twin's, raised up in a shrug of his own.

"So... While I... Slept, I changed?" Heather asked quietly, tearing her eyes away from her altered appearance and over to Elrond's reflection standing in the background. "Just how _long_ did I sleep?"

The twins exchanged a look and frowned slightly when Arwen wrapped her arms around her tightly. "For several weeks..." She whispered quietly, her voice trembling ever so slightly with barely leashed emotion. _"Ada_ would not let you fade and refused to leave your side."

Locking eyes with Arwen's in the mirror, Heather's gaze drifted back to her face. Her new face, and new body. Truthfully it wasn't like she changed into a completely different person. In reality, she looked almost the same.

But her hair was one thing that threw her off, it had always been long enough to brush her shoulder blades. Now it hung low enough to cover her entire back, and her face! No more baby fat clinging to her cheeks and jaw, or anywhere else for that matter, as if it had simply melted away.

On the plus side to all of this, she now understood why she had vertigo when she stood up earlier. Biting back a sarcastic laugh, she eyed her taller frame critically. It wasn't like she grew several feet and now towered above everyone else in some cosmic twist of fate. She was still considered short compared to the rest of the elves.

But she had to of grown at least half a foot if not a few inches more. At the very least she was taller than most human women by a little bit. "But I still don't understand why or how... I was... Well I looked human up until now. Why did I change suddenly months after I show up here?"

"I do not know." Elrond finally spoke up, making Heather turn around for the first time since catching sight of her reflection to face him. "Gandalf is searching for a reason as we speak."

"So he doesn't even understand..." Looking down at her fingers, she frowned at how thin they were thoughtfully. "This can't be healthy for the body to shift like that."

"You did have a headache up until a little bit ago." Elladan said suddenly, earning a look from her. "Perhaps that was it."

"A headache is one thing, your body deals with stress or certain pain that way." Heather shook her head, still feeling off-balance from the weight of her new hair. "Perhaps, but if some unknown magic awoke in you to begin the change..."

"Unknown magic?" Now she was completely lost as she stared around the room at them. "What unknown magic?" Frowning, Heather eyed each one only to have them refuse to meet her eyes. "What are you hiding?"

"The stone you found. That would be the cause of unknown magic." Gandalf's voice broke the silence as the wizard made his appearance. A book in one hand, staff in the other and kind grey eyes looked her over. "It is good to see you awake again, Heather." He offered gently, making the young elleth's irritation vanish just as quickly as it appeared.

Turning, he placed his staff against the wall and held up the book in his hands. "I couldn't find a reason why your appearance changed..." He opened it and began flipping through the pages quickly before coming to one he had marked previously and held it out to Elrond. "However this may explain how you arrived."

Tipping her head curiously, Heather moved to stand beside Elrond and peered at the book in his hands, eyes roaming over the unfamiliar elvish until they came to the sketches at the bottom of the page. "Those look like the markings on the stone."

"Because they are." Gandalf stated grimly, staff back in his hand as he leaned forward to study the book as well. "It is old magic, almost forgotten except in this book." Looking up at the wizard Heather raised an eyebrow at his expression. "So it's old... Is that bad?"

Clearing his throat, the wizard straightened up and let out a low sigh while pulling his pipe out of thin air, the familiar trick earning a small smile from Heather. "It isn't... Bad. But it isn't used for... Various reasons." He hedged carefully, making her huff under her breath. Closing the book, Elrond turned his gaze back to the wizard, a thoughtful look on his face. "How did this come to be?"

"I don't know. However it is by pure luck Heather stumbled upon the stone the exact moment she did or she may have never arrived here in your forest." Puffing on his pipe, Gandalf eyed her for a moment then offered a smile. "It was good luck Aragorn happened upon you in the forest when he did."

Beginning to hate the feeling of confusion altogether, Heather let out a low sigh and waved a hand in front of her. "And Aragorn is...?"

Silence. Looking around at everyone, she blinked at the looks they were giving her and resisted the urge to yank on her hair with some difficulty. "What?"

Elrond blinked and held back a laugh while shaking his head. "It would seem we failed to tell you his name." Elrohir however had no such qualms and laughed softly to himself. "Heather... Aragorn is Strider's true name." Arwen explained with a smile, making her sister's face turn a faint pink color from embarrassment. "All this time I've been calling him the wrong name?" She squeaked out, eyes wide as she stared at the elleth in mortification.

"Truthfully it is my fault." Elrond murmured, a smile on his face as she turned to look at him with the same wide-eyed look. "I believed Strider would be easier for you to say and remember when you first arrived."

"I suppose..." Trailing off, Heather rubbed a hand over her face and turned to look over at Gandalf with a sigh. "I wouldn't say stumbling across that rock was good luck if I keep being confused by everything like this." She muttered under her breath, earning several grins from those around her.

"Truthfully if you didn't come across it when you did, then I believe the stone would have simply returned here on it's own." The wizard smiled at her wryly, making her roll her eyes only to stop half way through.

"Wait, return here? Are you saying..."

"The stone came from Middle Earth originally, yes."

Now that was interesting. But it offered up several things at once. The main one being that if things from Middle Earth could show up on her world, then that could mean she'd end up going there herself eventually. All good humor suddenly vanishing from her, Heather bit her lip and looked down at her feet. After everything that had happened, that was the scariest thing possible she could imagine happening.

"Heather." Gandalf prompted her to look back up at him, eyes full of worry as she studied his face quietly. "It takes more magic than is in your body to traverse the way the stone did. You cannot physically be returned to your world without a strong source of energy."

And just like that the blanket of pain and worry that had begun to wrap it's suffocating weight around her suddenly vanished. "I won't just... Suddenly disappear?"

Elrond placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a light hug. "You are my daughter, I would not allow it." He murmured when she wrapped her arms around him tightly. Cursing her mood swings, Heather let out a breathless laugh and nodded her head. "Okay."

Pulling away, she rubbed at her face in irritation and turned back to Gandalf, a steely look in her eyes. "I want to help... I... I can't read Elvish yet... But I want to help."

Chuckling lightly, he leaned against his staff and eyed her squared shoulders and fists. "You can help by living your life."

Blinking, the sudden fire of determination died out under another damn wave of confusion. "Excuse me?"

Nudging her with the end of his staff, he nodded towards the balcony behind her. "Go live your life. It isn't every day when someone is given a second chance like this, enjoy it." With that, he took the book Elrond offered back to him and vanished from the room, leaving her to stare after him.

Before she could even think about following the damned wizard, two pairs of arms wrapped around her and tugged Heather away from Elrond and steered her towards the door. "Come sister, you have yet to show us how well you handle your new bow." Elrohir chided her teasingly, causing her to look up at him curiously. "Yes, we hear you are quite proficient." Elladan chimed in, Heather's head turning to look up at him as they walked along.

"Where exactly did you hear that?" She asked suspiciously, successfully distracted from her previous line of thought. "I'yeste claimed you were a near master when he arrived with you."

"Yes, the bow was a gift from someone in the Greenwood? Tell us, could it have been a gift to offer you a courting?"

Choking on her air, Heather sputtered and stared at them in horror. "No! Why the- _No!_ Just.. No." She shook her head violently, ignoring the braid that swung up and hit her in the face.

"Is that so? A beautiful gift like that is surely important." Elladan leaned over her, a mischievous look in his eyes as she narrowed her own at him. "It isn't."

"Really? Then tell us who may have gifted it to you?" Elrohir asked this time, leaning forward as well and making her back up a few steps, arms crossing over her chest as she glared at them. "The king."

Both twins stared at her for a moment then burst into laughter at the same time. "Come, come! That is a good joke, but we know he would-"

"He gave it to me because it was important and he didn't want it to just sit there anymore." Heather cut in, making them quiet down and study her for a moment only to begin laughing again as they turned and walked away.

"Hey! I'm telling the truth!" Heather growled, chasing after them in a fresh bout of frustration as they continued laughing at her.

"Of course."

"Never thought you weren't."

"Come _on!_ The one thing I'm proud of and you aren't even taking me seriously!"

Elrond smiled wryly at their voices as they faded away in the direction of the training field, Arwen shaking her head beside him as they stood on the balcony. Almost as if the last several weeks didn't happen, life seemed full of promise once more.

Even if it happened to be the three siblings arguing and laughing the way they were. The promise of happiness had a strange way of showing itself.

* * *

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	26. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 **Woah! Look at this, another chapter!**

 **Two weeks of work all slammed together into one interesting twist on things. Side note, let me know if I did alright with the new addition, Haven't really brushed up on how the guy acts all that lately.**

 **Annyway... Enjoy? I'm sorry and THAN YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather, other oc's and the plot**

 **~TL**

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* * *

Peering down the shaft of her arrow, Heather ignored the twins standing behind her as she focused on the target several yards away from where she stood. It had been weeks since she had returned and woke up from her near death by fading, and only now had she gotten used to her new proportions. Though to be truthful, she still had issues reminding herself she was taller than before and didn't need to aim as high anymore.

Breathing in softly, she narrowed her eyes and let go of the arrow, the characteristic whistle of it shooting through the air bringing a slight smile to her lips as it struck the center of the target for the tenth time that day. "I think I finally got a hang of this." She murmured to herself and lowered the arm holding her bow. "Well done, Heather." One of the twins spoke up, moving over to stand beside her with a critical glance at the target.

"Tenth center in a row. And at that distance, impressive." The other said with a grin as he moved forward as well. "You've been trained well."

Rolling her eyes, Heather snorted lightly and pinned the two of them with a narrow eyed glare. "I told you who trained me, and you still refuse to believe me."

Both of them raised their hands in front of them with identical sheepish expressions. "Don't get angry-"

"It's just hard to believe-"

"That the King himself would train anyone." They finished together with a shrug. Sometimes she envied them when they did that, how cool would it be to know someone so well that you could do that? Rolling her eyes skyward, she shouldered her bow and moved towards the target to retrieve her arrow. She only had a few, and until she knew how to make her own, she didn't plan on loosing any of them. Already she was diving into learning how to read Elvish with a vengeance so she could read the books Elrond had in his library about it.

"So tell us..."

"If the King did train you..."

"Why did you leave?"

Pausing in the action of pulling the arrow from the target, Heather hid a grimace behind her hair and frowned slightly. They wouldn't let up in asking her what happened, though I'yeste did tell them the short story, they wanted to know the full reason even though she refused to talk about it time and time again. One thing could be said about them and that was they were persistent as hell.

"Things just didn't work out." She shrugged, falling back on her usual reply as she yanked the arrow out with more force than necessary and placed it in her quiver with a sigh. "Though... I never did finish my training either." Grumbling to herself, Heather turned to face them with a wry smile at their confused expressions. "He had me working on the rings before I left."

"The rings?" Elladan raised a brow and glanced at his brother who shrugged. Heather glanced over at the twins and let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, in Greenwood they had clay rings for the archers to shoot through. I started on them but never managed to shoot through one. I kept breaking them." Muttering the last part, she ducked her head down in an effort to hide the embarrassed flush that spread across her cheeks.

A low whistle brought her attention around to another elf she failed to see walk up. "You managed to hit one at all, Little One? Impressive." Blinking in bemusement at the sudden appearance, Heather missed the shared glance between the twins. "Heather, this is Glorfindel." Elladan offered finally when she managed to look away from the Ellon's shining hair. It reminded her rather forcefully of another she would rather forget about "He just returned from Lorien." he added when she just raised an eyebrow at him.

"A pleasure then" She finally said, tired of being kept out of the loop when it came to important elves. Bowing her head to the older elf, she offered a wry smile at his amused expression. "I regret to inform you I have not yet heard anything of you until now." Shooting a sharp look at the twins, she was pleased to see that they had the decency to look sheepish at least.

Glorfindel chuckled and waved a hand in the air. "No need to feel badly. I am no one important." Ignoring the choked splutter from Elrohir, he gestured to the bow still in Heather's hand. "Perhaps we can get to know one another while you show me your skill?"

Feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment once more, she smiled slightly at him nd tipped her head towards the target she had been shooting at moments ago. "If you want, but I am no master."

Smiling widely, Glorfindel tugged on a lock of her hair playfully with a cheerful twinkle in his eyes. "I will be the judge of that, Little One."

* * *

Breathing out a steadying breath, Heather narrowed her eyes in concentration at the small red dot attached to a tree fifty meters up and loosed the arrow she held. Sucking in with surprise, she watched it sink into the center of the cloth and blinked. Honestly when Glorfindel suggested she try to shoot at anything besides the traditional target, she had agreed with little hope of actually achieving anything.

However the impressed whistle and clapping brought her from such thoughts, as she turned to blink in surprise at the Ellon standing there with a wide grin on his face. "I thought you may be able to do so. Your skill is certainly impressive thus far." He waved a hand at the other red cloths pinned to other trees at varying heights and distances. "I can see how the King himself saw fit to train you."

Letting her lips curl up to the side in a crooked grin, Heather shook her head and shouldered her bow before moving to retrieve her arrows. "I honestly don't know why I'm so good." Yanking out the first one, she paused and studied it with a slight frown. "I never was any good with aim back home, it's like this place... It just brings the best out of me I suppose." With a shrug and another smile, she moved onto the next tree, keen eyes picking up the inch or so she was off center of this one and sighing slightly. "Far from perfect though."

"Perfection is fabricated by those who need a reason to better themselves." He murmured, meeting her by the tree and tugging the arrow out for her, a kind smile spreading across his face at her unimpressed expression. "I have had many years to strive for perfection." Glancing around, he leaned in close with the air of someone imparting a secret. "And never came close." He whispered much to her amusement and let out a loud laugh when she snorted under her breath.

"I suppose so, but still. If I want to be any help, I need to get better." With a small groan, she yanked out another arrow in frustration when it wasn't centered either. "Help, with what?" Glancing over at him, she pursed her lips and ran a thoughtful thumb over the arrowhead. "Anything, I'm not exactly the type to sit around and do nothing."

The silence stretched between the two of them after that as they finished retrieving her arrows and headed back towards her home. "Do you know what it is called when someone desires something but cannot say what it is?"

Looking over at him, she furrowed her brow in thought for a moment. "A craving?"

"Yes, a craving for something, anything, as long as it sits correctly with them." He smiled down at her and tugged on a loose strand of hair once more. "You crave excitement, Little One. The excitement that comes from proving yourself to others."

"Well... Yeah. I want to show them I don't need to be hidden away." Scowling at that, Heather bit her lower lip in frustration. Ever since her close brush with fading, Elrond refused to let her leave the boarders of Imladris, not even with the twins when they left to help with outer patrol. "No one thinks that." Shaking herself from her thoughts, Heather looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Truly, they don't." He reassured her when he noticed her expression.

"Then why don't they let me do anything?" She finally sighed out, already feeling exhausted with the conversation itself. "Because they fear you may not return."

Slowing to a stop, Heather frowned at his back as Glorfindel took a few steps ahead of her and turned to offer a kind smile at her confused expression. "Your father was affected by the same yearning as you when he was young." He said slowly, his gaze slipping past her to settle on something she couldn't see. "The desire to travel, to see many things and to breathe the air of a different city." Sharpening his gaze, he looked back down at her and offered a small smile. "He understands and fears you may just follow that desire."

"Its not like I plan on up and disappearing on them." Flapping her hands slightly, Heather let out a low groan at the slowly building headache beginning behind her eyes and rubbed at them gently. "I just want to see what's out there, satisfy my curiosity and then come home. Is that too much to ask?" Ignoring the stinging of tears, She looked up at him with a defiant expression that melted away into exhaustion. "I just want to enjoy myself."

"As we all do." Moving towards her, he passed a hand gently over her bowed head. "Until they know you can protect yourself, they wish for you to stay here, where they can take care of you." Letting out a choked laugh, Heather nodded her head and wiped her eyes. "I know..."

Silence descended on them again as she pulled herself back together and offered a watery smile up at Glorfindel. "You're pretty wise."

He chuckled and offered her his arm and smiled cheerfully at her when she took it. "Little One, when you are as old as I am. Wisdom comes easy."

* * *

Days passed in a blur after her odd heart to heart with the Elf known as Glorfindel. Days she couldn't quite place or really remember what she did aside of practicing with her bow and spending time with her brothers and sister as often as she could. Elrond choosing to stay with Gandalf in the library, still searching for answers as she fulfilled the wizard's request to live her life.

Every now and again her day was punctuated with a letter from I'yeste or Nimphel, telling her about their lives and how they wished to meet with her again despite the way they had parted when she left Greenwood. Of course she answered them, Nimphel wanting to know if she had met any new Ellon that caught her eye and I'yeste being as persistent as ever and asking how she fared with her bow.

One by one the days blurred together, nothing truly outstanding standing out to her until the day, that day, when her life's course offered her a new path. One she couldn't say no to no matter the circumstance.

"You want to what?" Heather struggled not to choke on the water she had been in the act of drinking when Glorfindel came up with his brilliant idea. Of course he could have come up with a better time to offer it to her... Like when she didn't have a mouthful of anything preferably.

Covering a laugh with a cough, he glanced away from her as Heather wiped her mouth with a cloth furiously. "I said I wish to teach you how to handle a sword. You have more than proved your ability to handle a bow." He explained again patiently when her small brush with death had passed, amusement shining in his eyes at the disgruntled look she tossed his way.

"And... Where exactly did you come up with this?" She asked carefully, eyes flicking around the empty room they sat in then settling on him once more, studying the Ellon across the table from her with a slight frown. "I mean... Of course I would love to learn, but Ada isn't exactly excited I learned how to shoot a bow so well. If anything I'd say he was downright upset about it whenever the archers insist I train with them."

Glorfindel waved a hand impatiently and let out a small sigh. "That is not about your skills with the Bow, Heather. And I do believe you know this." He added, shooting her a narrow look, an eyebrow raising up when she determinedly looked away from him.

"Alright, but I don't see it that way. I see it as a chance to train with the best archers in Imladris. I'm not looking for anything like that." Heather sighed and rested both elbows on the table, choosing to ignore his pointed glance at them as she pursed her lips in thought. "I don't even have a sword, and I honestly don't think I can, I don't have the stamina to use one in a fight."

Clearing his throat, he leaned forward, with a shine in his eyes she wasn't sure she liked as she leaned away from him. "Precisely why I believe training is necessary, is it not?"

"I... I guess so." Chewing her lip for a moment, she eyed the Ellon across from her, the elf was practically vibrating with excitement at the prospect of teaching her. For whatever reason, the guy took a shine to her and she really couldn't say why to be sure. "Alright, alright, fine." Rolling her eyes, she ignored his gleeful expression as he got to his feet. "Meet me in the training grounds tomorrow at sunrise then." With that, he spun on his heel and left the room quickly.

"Wait- wh... And you're gone." With a huff, she sat back against her seat and ran a hand through her hair, blowing out a low breath. "Just what did I sign up for?"

* * *

Biting back a yawn that threatened to break her jaw, Heather leaned her shoulder against a nearby tree and squinted around the clearing with a sigh. It was sunrise, way too early to deal with being awake at all, and the guy who said to meet at this hellish time wasn't even there to start her training. "This is ridiculous." Groaning to herself, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the tree.

"It only is if you treat it as such." A familiar voice jolted her away from the drifting sleep she had begun to fall into and back into reality with a groan. "Rise with the sun to use the daylight wisely." He coached with a grin at her less than impressed face as he passed her by on his way into the clearing, one hand beckoning at her over his shoulder. "Come, Little One, it is time to start."

With that began her first day of training, one of many spent attempting to find what she had an aptitude for actually. Long days using one sword and moving onto another one the next day. Never long enough to become accustomed to the grips or feel comfortable with it's weight. All he had to do was see how she held it after a long day of working with it. And every time, he shook his head and motioned for her to put it aside.

Next day would be a repeat of the first with a different sword. Long swords, short swords, daggers, broad, thin, needle thin and even a sickle... Nothing.

The blisters broke a while ago, the skin was still a bit tender, but Heather could feel it toughen up bit by bit as each day passed, already she could feel the difference when she gripped a handle. The leather didn't bite into her palms as much anymore, the folds didn't pinch her fingers when she wrapped them around.

"Swing."

Breathing out a breath, Heather swung the newest sword in front of her, ignoring the strain in her muscles as they protested at the movement for the tenth time that day.

"Overhead."

Biting back a groan, she lifted the heavy blade over her head and brought it down sharply in a chopping motion like he had shown her earlier. Legs spaced shoulder width apart and using her back muscles rather than the ones in her arms like she first believed.

"Rest now."

Sweet words from a slave driver, Heather breathed out a sigh of relief and let herself fall back against the soft grass behind her, ignoring the painful thud of her muscles as she lay there, breathing heavily from the exertion of swinging the same sword over and over again. "How does it feel in your hands?"

"Like a lead weight." She groaned out, eyes closed against the sun as she shifted the hand still holding the sword slightly. "It's too heavy."

"I thought it may be." Glorfindel leaned down and plucked it from her grasp easily to run a careful eye over it's edge. "If you thought that, then why did you bring it for me to use?" Heather groaned out, finally cracking open an eye to glare at him weakly when he tossed a smile her way. "No harm in trying."

"Not to you." She snorted and rolled over to her side so she could push herself up with another groan. "You aren't the one with screaming muscles that I didn't even know existed until I started this."

"You will get used to it." He snorted wryly and held out a hand to her which she swatted at before thinking better of it and grabbing on so he could haul her to her feet. "I swear if you tell me that one more time, the next sword you bring with you is going somewhere you don't want it to." She threatened mildly, choosing to ignore his chuckle for the sake of her dignity as she slowly made her way over to her pack where a skin of water sat, just waiting for her to guzzle down and quite possibly drown herself in the process.

"Come now, it isn't that bad." He chided her, moving forward to pluck up the very skin she was eyeing and holding it out. Grabbing it from him, she lifted it to her lips and gulped down several mouthfuls before putting it back down. "I suppose not, but you haven't let me even use the same sword twice."

"Finding the right sword is like choosing a companion for life. You were lucky, the bow you have was made for someone like you in many ways." He frowned, missing the soft growl she let out at that and turned his attention back to the sword he still held. "A sword is just as important and personal, you need one you can feel yourself trust despite yourself. If it becomes too heavy, then it has no use."

"I guess so." Heather brushed off her irritation and eyed the weapon curiously. "But none of them work for me."

Humming in agreement, he eyed the weapon once more then turned his gaze to Heather thoughtfully, eyes shuttered as he pondered something or another in that mysterious brain of his. "Perhaps a few days to think this over." He finally stated, taking her by surprise as he turned to place the blade back in it's sheith. "Allow me to think this over carefully then I will return here with you."

"And when is that?" Heather sighed, eyeing Glorfindel as he finished gathering his things. "I will come see you when I believe I've found something. However..." He added, eyeing her for a moment with a small smirk on his lips. "You are not to forgo your strength training. Every sunup." With that, he turned and vanished into the trees, a soft chuckle trailing after him when she growled louder this time.

So much for hoping for a small vacation!

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	27. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 **So... I had no idea it would take this long for me to write this chapter, but happily this one turned out better than I had hoped previously.**

 **I hope it's length makes up for how long it took for me to get this published, really, I am sorry. To explain, I go through bouts of.. Not depression, but a complete lack of motivation to do anything I enjoy. It feels like I don't have the energy to deal with it, it might be depression, I dunno. Either way, I am sorry!**

 **Hmmm, I think that's it for now. Thanks again for being so patient and for those of you that followed me in Instagram, you rock!**

 **\- I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **\- I DO own heather, the plot and other Oc's**

~ **TL**

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 **-English is in Bold-**

 **-** _Elvish is in Italics-_

* * *

It didn't take long for Elladan and Elrohir to find out where she went to complete her daily strength training, and it took even less time for them to think of a way to mess with her while she did so.

The first day it was small, a few acorns tossed or placed in stratigic positions so she would step on them by accident and either break her concentration by making a noise or digging into ther foot, her bare foot, that they knew full well she would be.

After that, things esclated quickly, leading to muddy traps in the otherwise soft grass, catching her up and making her trip in her footwork, branches littering the ground before she arrived after a realitively calm night with little or no wind, so she would spend hours cleaning it up first to start her practice.

It wasn't the dozens of frogs or lizards that found a new home in a small, quickly made, pond in the clearing, it wasn't the fact that she couldn't find the wooden sword Glorfindel had given her to train with one morning, it wasn't even the sudden appearance of a dozen birds that swarmed her in the middle of training.

No, it was today, it was _today_ that broke the camels back so to speak, Heather scowled at the mess in front of her, eye twitching ever so slightly as she attempted to reign in her anger before she did something drastic, like sneak into their rooms while they slept and cut their hair.

Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath to try and ease the trembling in her clenched fist beside her. Chancing a glance back at the clearing, she visibly winced as she stared around, completely lost as to how they managed this in the first place.

It wasn't the fact that the grass was nearly nonexhistant, or the pond that she had carefully covered up after moving all of it's inhabitants to a safer place had suddenly reappeared, nor the fish now living in it.

It wasn't even the pile of sticks that looked suspiciously like a bonfire ready to be lit in the center that staggered her. It was the small gleam of her training sword in the dawn light that astonished her.

Placed at the top of a unrealistically tall tree, about twenty paces away from the clearing, it stood proudly, jutting above the green leaves that swayed gently in the breeze like they hadn't been disturbed at all by whoever had placed her sword there.

The branches were obviously thin, considering her sword listed a bit to the side and bounced ever so slightly in the breeze. What she couldn't figure out was _how_ they managed to get it up there, aside of the children, she was the smallest elf around, and she would have trouble that high up in a tree. Those branches wouldn't hold her weight one bit and she knew it. So...

How on earth did they get up there?

Reluctantly, she had to applaud them for their ingenuity, managing to completely destroy her training space and place her training sword so high up in a tree and managed the regular two or three hours of sleep she found out all elves needed every few days. This would have taken them hours to accomplish, the bonfire in front of her alone would have taken sever by itself considering none of them looked freshly cut so they must have gathered any and possibly all the fallen branches in the valley.

But... She sure as hell was _not_ cleaning this up. Once she figured out how to get her sword back down from the tree, she would go straight to Ada and tell him exactly what they had done. With a heavy sigh, she trudged past the pile of branches and the small pond full of curious fish towards the tree, already feeling tired despite only having just gotten up and eaten something that day so far.

She would definitely make them pay for this, that was for sure. Perhaps enlist some help from the archers she had befriended over the last few weeks. They certainly had gotten to be the the subjects of the twins jokes over the years and would want to get them back somehow.

Coming to a stop at the base of the tree, she looked up at it and whistled appreciatively at just how tall it was up close. The damn thing dwarfed nearly everything around it aside of the waterfall and cliffs surrounding the valley. It had to be hundreds if not thousands of years old with how wide the base was.

"Now then..." Rolling her shoulders around, Heather loosened up her arm muscles before jumping up and grabbing the branch above her to pull herself higher up.

* * *

Stomping through the halls of her home, Heather ignored the curious looks she received from the elves she passed, intent on finding her so-called loving brothers after having spent hours climbing that damned tree to retrieve her sword. She ignored the twigs and leaves in her hair, the dirt she was trailing along behind her from her bare feet and the windblown style that whipped her hair into multiple tangles that had knotted around said leaves and twigs.

Slamming open the door to their room, she stood in the doorway, glowering at the two of them as they jumped and turned to face her, trying to, unsucessfully, hide the amusement twinkling in their eyes once they caught sight of her. "I'm going to kill you two." Heather stated simply, no threatening tone in her voice, no movements nor threat in her stance as she straightened back up and eyed them blandly. "Remember what you've done, it will be the last thing you do for a very long time." With that said, she spun on her heel and stalked past Elrond and Aragorn who stood behind her.

"You better hide them, Ada. Because they will be severely hurt after this." Heather tossed over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner and heading towards her room, spying Arwen beside her door as she drew closer, her eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter she had the good grace not to let out.

Stopping in front of her, Heather twisted her lips in a pout at her expression. "Don't you dare, this is not funny. They put my sword up a _tree,_ the tallest one in the valley after destroying the clearing I used to practice in." She sighed, opening her door and allowing her sister to step through first before following after. "I apologize, Heather, however if you were to see how you look..."

"I know I know, lets just get my hair fixed, please?" Heather begged, the twigs already scratching at her scalp and making it itch. Arwen laughed softly and nodded, already gesturing to the chair in front of her and picking up the brush sitting on the table in front of her. _"Tolo,_ sit." (Come)

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Heather sat down willingly, trying not to wince when the brush tugged at the first of many tangles in her hair. On her sister's part, she tried to be gentle, detangling each knot carefully and plucking the offending bits of nature out of it once it was loose enough to. After nearly a hour, her hair was tangle-free and flowing freely down her back once more. "You are the most amazing sister ever, Arwen." Heather breathed out, a hand going through her hair carefully, her scalp still a bit sore from all the tugging before turning to face Arwen and wrapped her in a hug.

Her soft, twinkling laugh met Heather's ears as the elleth wrapped her arms around her in return. "Go, wash, it is nearly time for dinner." She urged her softly and left Heather alone in the room, still marveling over her hair as she continued to run her hands through it thankfully. Opening her wardrobe, Heather curled her upper lip at the only clean clothes she had and reluctantly removed one of the many dresses Arwen had gifted her with after returning from Greenwood. Apparently even in Middle Earth girls were still girls, no matter what species. Pretty clothes to bring smiles, and while she accepted them and was happy Arwen and the ladies she worked with to make them even thought of her in this way, she didn't care for dresses or flowing clothes. They made it hard to move around when she wanted to walk in the trees, they always ended up tangling in the bushes.

But, she took them anyway, just to make them smile and silently swore she wouldn't wear them unless it was an absolute emergency... Apparently not having anything clean because she had been a bit too lazy to take care of her usual clothing called for it because it was either wear this or go in dirty clothing after taking a bath.

And that was just something she refused to do.

With a heavy sigh, she carefully folded it and carried the dress to the bathing room with her to clean up for dinner. Man she was going to regret this, she just knew it.

* * *

Heather studied her face in the mirror closely as she braided her hair back slowly. It still threw her off to see her reflection now, she didn't change much really, but it was the subtle differences that caught her every time. In reality she couldn't push back the nagging thought in the back of her mind that she looked better, prettier, now. But she knew deep down that was a knee-jerk reaction from all the problems she had back home, not an actual assumption.

Straightening up, she eyed the dress critically and straightened the skirt a bit more before giving up and moving to join the rest in the dining hall if a bit nervously. She rarely wore anything like a dress or skirt. In fact, she could count on the fingers of one hand how many times she did since arriving in Imladris, and even fewer fingers were used to count the times she did before arriving in Middle Earth.

Pausing by the table so she could place her brush down, she frowned at the sparkling circlet sitting there innocently along with a small note with Elrond's elegant handwriting staring up at her innocently. Picking it up, she read the words slowly, still stumbling over the elvish alphabet more than she cared to. Still unable to really read the whole thing, she understood enough to realize this was an apologetic gift from the twins for what they did and he hoped she would wear it as a way to accept their apology.

Heaving a small sigh, she put the note down and slowly picked up the circlet. This would be the second time someone tried to raise her above the status she believed she should be in, granted Arwen and the twins wore their own versions of one themselves, Heather herself never really felt like she should be given the status of 'Lady' or anything like it.

But... She had already forgiven them during her bath, while that didn't safe them from any reperecussion for their prank, she still could see the amusement now that it was over. And if she didn't they wouldn't think she accepted it.

Lifting it up to eye level, Heather silently admired the work that went into making something so beautiful. The silver metal shining brightly even in the dim light of her room twisting around to resemble vines and small flowers blooming from each curve giving the image of something living in the metal rather than the metal it really was.

In the front was a small, square shaped gem, light blue that matched the afternoon sky sparkled at her cheerfully. It was lightweight, but the meaning behind wearing something like this weighted it down to the point it was almost physically heavy. It wasn't the apology, no, but once again she circled around to the fact that this placed her in the status of 'Lady' and that just wasn't something she thought she was. Heather came from a moderate family that lived comfortably but not without money troubles.

She always had to go with the bare minimum and she was good with that, now to have all of this thrust on her... It was overwhelming at some points, and it threw her for a loop when some of the archers she had gotten to know dipped their heads to her in a slight bow before remembering that she hated it.

Running her slender fingers over the metal lightly, Heather heaved a small sigh and gently lifted it up to sit on her head, surprised for a second at how it fit perfectly, the gem resting just a inch below her hairline and throwing small arcs of light on the walls when the light caught it. Trying to ignore the light weight now resting on her head, she turned and squared her shoulders before leaving the room.

While she wasn't comfortable with the whole situation, she wouldn't be the one to throw a fit about something she had no control over either. Gandalf himself mentioned on more than one occasion at how strong she was mentally and emotionally, she would be damned if she let the old man down now.

Turning the corner down the hall from her room, she nearly ran into a broad chest and came to a stop seconds before her nose came into contact with said chest. "Oh, sorry!" She apologized hastilly before looking up and managing a wry smile at Glorfindel's surprised expression. "Lost in thought again."

"Heather..." He said, trailing off and blinking slightly as if to clear his own thoughts. "Ah, yes, Arwen requested I come find you. She apparetly believes you may seek out the twins for something." He cleared his throat and offered her his usual smile, a slight twinkle in his eyes telling her he knew exactly why she would be.

"Well, I may have accepted their apology..." She gestured to the circlet resting on her head with a small snort. "But that doesn't let them off the hook either." He raised an eyebrow at her phrasing and chuckled lightly before holding out an arm to her. "Shall I escort you, My Lady?" He asked teasingly, making her grimace and wrap her arm through his offered one. "Don't call me that."

"Why? I believe it fits you and how you look." He grinned down at her as they resumed walking along the hallway towards the dining hall. "How I look and who I am are two different things. I don't wear dresses or like them." Heather snorted in an unlady like fashion much to his amusement. "True... Though you do flatter them when you do wear one." He offered lightly, making Heather laugh and shake her head. "I'm sure, if you ever decide to turn your charms to someone after training me, you might want to rethink your words."

"Hmm. Perhaps pointers would be of use." He nudged her gently in the side with his elbow as they entered the hall. "If it saves a poor elleth from your dated terms, yes." Heather grinned up at him as he took her hand and bowed over it with an exaggerated wink before kissing the back of it and letting her go with a grin at her laugh. "Of course... My _Lady."_ Winking at her sudden scowl, he made his way to one of the many tables laid out with food as she narrowed her eyes at his retreating back then turned to join her own family.

Elladan and Elrohir jumped from their chairs as she approached, apprehensive as she drew near. "Heather-" They started at the same time only to stop when she raised a hand. "No, see this?" She gestured the circlet on her head with a stern expression. "I forgive you-" They relaxed instantly, relieved smiles on their faces. "But, and there is a but, if you ever do anything like that to me anymore, you may never want to sleep again. Least you wake up without any hair." She added in an undertone, pleased to see their uneasy expressions return before passing them by and sitting down in the chair Arwen had saved for her with a gentle smile.

"I take it Glorfindel found you then." She began as Heather filled her plate with various fruits and vegetables. "Hm, and was just as annoying as ever." Heather hummed in agreement, focusing on her food as Arwen shared a look with their father. "You spend so much time with him, I would believe that his... Irritating habits would not annoy you anymore." Elrond tried next, watching as Heather lifted her head and eyed him curiously. "True, but it doesn't make it any less annoying when he says or does something to purposely irritate me." She said cautiously this time, watching as he smiled gently at her.

Glancing over at her sister beside her, Heather watched the small smile tilt her lips upwards to match Elrond's own. Setting her fork down, she sat back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is this about?"

"Do you enjoy training with him?" Elrond dodged her question with one of his own, making Heather's eyes narrow in thought. "Maybe, why?"

"You enjoy your time with him then." Arwen said next, that same smile tugging her lips upwards that now had Heather itching with suspicion. It wasn't the twins she should have been watching out for, it was these two and she had no idea why. "He's interesting enough to talk to..." She said slowly, eyeing the quick glance she send their father's way at her answer.

Elladan let out a sigh suddenly, catching all three of their attentions. "Ada, I said it wasn't like that."

"Like what?" Heather frowned at the shake of his head.

"Perhaps not now, but later-"

"But later _what?"_ Heather stressed this time, beginning to grow agitated when no one answered her again.

"Ada, it isn't. We've watched them train-"

"Then they know each other well."

"Not in the way that you're thinking." Elrohir interjected, earning a quick look from Elrond and Arwen alike. "It isn't."

"I believe things may develop." Elrond said with a note of finality in his voice, closing the discussion entirely much to Heather's irritation. "What might develop?" She asked sharply, twitching in her seat and fiddling with the end of her braid when Elrond sent a searching glance her way, that same smile on his face. "Pay no mind, Heather. Merely the thoughts of an old Elf."

"Right." She snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder and stood up, grabbing an apple from the table. "Well, when you decide your old thoughts about me are worth my attention, you know where I am." Ignoring the surprised glances she received from her family, Heather walked out of the hall, intent on finding her dirty clothes and washing them so she could re-dress in something much more comfortable.

It was annoying for one thing, to wear something so uncomfortable, another is the entire conversation that flew over her head at ninety miles an hour. Just what the hell was all of that about in the first place? Something about her and Glorfindel training together, maybe he didn't like it? No, he didn't seem upset, more like... Expectant.

But what the hell he was expecting was beyond her. Biting into the apple with more force than necessary, she opened the door to her room and started gathering the dirty clothes she had left in a corner, apple still firmly in her mouth. Turning around to leave so she could go to the wash house, she paused at the sight of said Elf standing in her doorway with an amused quirk to his lips while he watched her.

Feeling a faint blush color her cheeks, she reached up and finished biting the apple, chewed and swallowed hastily. "Sorry, just cleaning these up so I have something to wear tomorrow." She explained, lifting the small pile of clothes in her arms, drawing his attention to them with a small shrug. "I've been a tad lazy."

"So it would seem." He smiled and fell silent again, watching her with an unnerving amount of intensity he usually saved for when they sparred. "Um..." Heather shifted on her feet nervously, not really caring for his attention at the moment while she was still irritable. "Was there something you wanted?"

His eyes snapped from the apple in her hand and up to her face quickly, clearing of whatever thought he had at the moment and shook his head lightly. "I merely wished to see if you were alright. There seemed to be heat between you and your family." He ventured, making Heather frown and drop the clothes on her bed with a huff.

"They were talking about something and refused to tell me what it was."

"Why would that bother you?" He asked, eyebrows drawing together in confusion as he took a few steps into her room, watching as Heather lifted her hands helplessly. "It was about how you were training me, I think."

"Does Lord Elrond not like-"

"No, no, I don't think it was that, he didn't seem upset when he was asking me about it. It was almost like... He expected me to say something, but I have no idea what it was. Him and Arwen." She added as an after thought, frowning slightly as he came to kneel in front of her so he could get her attention once more. "Pay it no mind, Heather." He soothed, hands brushing over her clenched ones with a small grin. "If they do not mind our training, then it is nothing." He added when she shot him a look.

"I guess..." She sighed, much to his relief as she relaxed her stiff shoulders and opened her hands slowly, working the stiffness from her cramped fingers. "Either way, it was just annoying."

"I would agree with you, however I was not part of the conversation." He teased lightly, earning a weak glare from her as she stood and gathered the clothes back together and started walking towards the door once more. "I guess so. Care to keep me company should someone else get the idea to ask me questions about something I have no idea about?" She offered with a grin, earning one in return as he stood to join her out in the hall. "I would gladly offer my services in such a way." He chuckled when she shook his head at him and lead the way towards the wash rooms.

"You are so old." She muttered under her breath, making him laugh outright, his head tossed back as she rolled her eyes. "If I am old, then you are no more than a babe." He jabbed back, making Heather growl at him in warning. "I am a full grown Elleth, I'll have you know." She sniffed, lifting her chin up slightly and strode along the hall, making Glorfindel lengthen his stride to keep up.

"Tis' true, however your actions speak otherwise." He continued, that familiar twinkle in his eyes as Heather shot him a glare. "I don't like keeping my thoughts to myself unless it's absolutely needed."

"And you absolutely needed to tell me I was sadistic the other day, yes?"

"Absolutely." She confirmed with a nod, earning another grin from him while they turned the corner into the washing rooms and dumped the clothing on the floor near the basin unceremoniously. "And I absolutely have to say I hate washing clothes." She added, wrinkling her nose lightly at the job ahead of her.

"If you washed them every night, you would not have so much to do today."

"Yeah, yeah." Heather flapped a hand in his direction before setting to work. She loved Middle Earth and it's lack of technology more than anything, but washing machines were something she wished for more than anything.

* * *

Breathing out slowly, Heather locked eyes on her target in front of her. The handle of her wooden sword gripped tightly in her hand as she and Glorfindel circled each other in the newly cleaned clearing. It had been weeks since they last sparred, and she was due for a brush-up lesson. Narrowing her eyes, she flicked a glance down to his feet then back to his face, but her momentary lack of attention to his expression cost her.

A swish of air being moved and a sudden, sharp jab at her side made her scowl and jump away from his own sword and shift the grip she had on hers. "Focus, Heather." He reprimanded her, a sharp tone in his voice that rarely ever showed unless they were training. Nodding her head sharply, she studied his posture for a moment before shifting her own feet suddenly and darting to the side, making him follow suit.

Spinning on her heel, she caught him off guard for the first time that day by diving at his legs, making him jump back, right into the tree behind him and jumped up, pressing her sword tip gently against his neck, hard enough for him to know it was there, but nowhere near enough to leave a mark.

Grinning widely, she caught her breath and looked up at his own matching grin, one that told her she missed something and felt her smile melt off of her face when she felt the tip of his sword tap against her side, right over the ribs that protected her heart. If it had been a real sword and a real fight, he would have ended her before she had moved to push her sword through his neck.

 **"Damn."** Swearing under her breath, she stepped back and brushed a hand over her braid with a frown. "How did you do that without me seeing?"

"Many years of practice." He teased, enjoying poking fun at her obvious irritation at his many years of training. "It will take you nearly fifty to get on a level to fight me without dying."

"Fifty years, ugh." Flopping onto her back, Heather let the sword go beside her and closed her eyes against the sunlight. "That... Is much longer than I want."

"I am afraid while you are a natural archer, Heather. Swordplay will not come as easy to you, not until we find a weapon to suit your style." He said apologetically, sitting down beside her and placing his sword across his lap as he stared down at her upturned face in thought. "While you are good enough to face down a human with your ability, I am afraid that will not be enough in this world."

"I know." She sighed and rolled onto her side to face him, eyes opening so she could look up at his face with a frown. "Do you have any idea what I need?"

"I believe something light and versatile will fit you, but we have tried twin handed swords and they did not work." Leaning back on his hands, Glorfindel tipped his head to the side in thought, eyes on the treeline while he pondered. "Something that can move..."

"Like spinning blades?" Heather asked helpfully, curious enough to sit up and face him fully this time, hands quickly undoing her braid and re-doing it to capture anything that had escaped from it during their spar.

"Perhaps, but we do not have any such weapon in Imladris." He turned to look at her with a thoughtful expression. "How does one make a blade that spins on it's own?"

Heather smiled suddenly, jumping to her feet and holding out a hand to him in an offer. "Now we're back in my territory again. I believe I may have something that will answer that question." Ignoring his confused look, she tugged him to his feet and lead them back to the halls of her home, the idea that had been floating at the back of her mind beginning to finally take form after several weeks of vaguely floating around.

"Heather-" He began but she cut him off with a quick smile over her shoulder at him, still tugging him along behind her. "Don't you trust me?" She asked with an impish gleam in her eyes, making him sigh lightly and tip his head to the side when she turned forward again, his eyes drifting down to her smaller hand still tugging on his own and shook his head. She would eventually realize, but he doubted it would be before anyone saw and mentioned it to her father.

It would no doubt make for a rather interesting conversation with him later when it came into light. Not one he didn't expect, but one he didn't think would come for some time. Chuckling under his breath, he allowed the smaller Elf drag him into the halls of her home and towards her room.

Reaching the door, she let go of his hand and pushed it open, rushing over to the oversize pack she kept in her wardrobe, already flipping it open and dug around inside for a moment before coming up with her notebook with a triumphant grin and flipped through it's pages before handing it over to a now-interested Glorfindel. "I started sketching it a while ago, but didn't think much about it." She explained as he studied the rough drawing she gave him closely, the words she wrote along with the arrows pointing to several places on the odd-shaped blade meaning nothing to him.

"What is this?" He asked finally, looking up at her as she bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. "An idea I had for a blade. I never really thought much about it, but I love to write and thought perhaps it would make for an interesting weapon for someone to have in a story." She explained quickly, moving closer to point at the blade itself with her finger. "The idea is pretty simple really, the blade is a quarter moon shape, one whole side sharp and the other flat and wide. The handle-" She continued, moving a slender finger up to the object sticking from the side of the crescent. "Is on the side near the tip of the blade, perhaps a foot away from it, making most of the blade-" She trailed her finger down to the edge of the weapon and moved it along the side. "Would rest against the forearm. But the best part is this." She grinned up at him before pointing at the handle again. "The handle itself spins on a joint attached to the blade, making the whole thing spin- but not the handle."

Glorfindel dropped his eyes back down to the drawing, this time viewing it with new eyes after she explained the reasoning behind it. Now that he understood what the strange language said, he could see what she meant, it made for a very interesting weapon indeed. However the handle...

"Perhaps, instead of a joint attaching the handle to the blade, a rod that the handle will wrap around, the end of it flat and wide to keep the grip from slipping off." He offered up, making Heather look down at the picture where he pointed at and furrowed her brows in thought. "I can see how that would work, but the grip can't have metal on it, eventually it could wear down and begin grinding against the rod." She agreed easily, making him smile as they both settled down on the floor, completely drawn in by their thoughts as they went over the drawing, Somewhere along the way, she had taken out her pen and began sketching vague ideas for the handle in the corner of the picture as he spoke, pointing out various points on the weapon and offering up different ways to improve it.

Neither of them were sure it could be done, but the elves in the smith have made any number of weapons over the years, it wasn't much to hope they could make this as well. Several hours and disagreements later, Heather admired the new sketch she had made with the modifications they both decided on, the bottom half completely devoted to a large sketch of how the spinning grip and rod would work while the upper half depicted the whole blade, handle included.

"Do you think this could be it?" She finally asked Glorfindel, looking up from the drawing to his face as he studied it from where he sat across from her, their knees touching from how close they were as he shifted slightly. "I believe it may be, your view on the world is different than ours, it is safe to assume the weapons you wield should reflect on your spirit." He grinned at her as she shook her head. "Come, we will ask the smith if it is possible."

Getting to his feet, he offered a hand out to her and tugged Heather to hers. Grinning up at him, she carefully folded the paper and tucked it into a pocket before following him out of her room, a slight skip to her step at the thought of her very own imagination coming to life for her to hold in her hands.

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	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 **Aaah! I finally finished it, a lot shorter than I thought it would be, but I did cut out a lot of unneeded scenes, ones that didn't fit with the rest of the story anyway.**

 **I do apologize for how long it took me to write this but between everything that's happened over the past few months and the other stories I've been working on, it's been kinda come and go with this chapter. I'd write maybe a paragraph or two before moving onto something else or be called away from it.**

 **As of right now, I'm sure some of you noticed, I've been working on a Harry Potter story, on on the side of that I'm writing a Riddick story for a friend of mine and a Stargate SG-1 story. The Stargate story won't be posted like the rest of them though, I plan on finishing it completely before posting the first chapter at all, then update once or twice a week, keep some people happy while I'm working on the other stories in the process. However it's a bit slow-going at the moment as I have to re-watch from season two.**

 **Sorry, moved off-topic there a bit. What I'm trying to say is, I may be slow in updating, but just know that I am writing chapters to whatever story or stories you're reading, just a little bit at a time.**

 **I think that's all for now, and to those of you that have waited patiently and those of you that reviewed: Thank you all so much and I would like to extend another apology to you for how long it took.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

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Days of waiting. Weeks even, almost a month in fact.

But they were finished. Glorfindel smiled to himself as he walked purposely through the halls of Imladris, intent on finding Heather. Glancing down at the case in his arms, he allowed another grin to flit across his face while he thought of her reaction to finally having the very blades she had been waiting for in her hands.

Of course their waiting had not been wasted, no, he made sure she kept her training. And thus far, she had become competent with her training weapon. Of course, she would have problems adjusting to a new one, especially one like this, but... He glanced back up, finally spying her red hair ahead of him, speaking with another elleth while she walked along beside them.

He knew should could do it, holding incredible potential for swordplay, she just held back too much. It was hard to determine why exactly, however he believed it stemmed from her not believing she could accomplish something so difficult. Now perhaps with her own design in her hands, she may just let go of those beliefs and fully step into herself.

Picking up his pace, he strode up alongside Heather and Arwen, keeping silent while they continued to speak, waiting to see which one would notice him first.

Quirking an eyebrow, he watched Heather from the corner of his eye, waiting for her to finally notice someone else beside her and frowned when she failed to. That would be his next lesson for her then. It wouldn't do to have her be completely unaware of potential danger so close by.

Clearing his throat, Glorfindel watched with some amusement when she jumped and spun around in a defensive stance, approving how quickly she shifted her footing. "Glorfindel!" She breathed out, straightening up with a sheepish smile and brushing a hand through her hair with an embarrassed flush on her cheeks. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I have been walking with you for a while now." He raised an eyebrow at her, his lips quirking upwards when she huffed and tugged on a strand of her hair nervously. "I wasn't expecting you to show up without saying anything."

"Your opponent will rarely ever tell you of their arrival, if ever." This made her deflate a bit, it was entertaining to see her reactions compared to other Elves, next to them, she was so... Human with her emotions showing clearly on her face and in her actions. "I suppose so." Heather finally admitted, glancing over to where Arwen stood, a huff of air escaping her lips. "Sorry."

"Do not apologize, there is no harm." He smiled down at her and held out the box in his arms to her. "Here, I believe you've been waiting for these."

Furrowing her brow, Heather took the box and glanced up at his face curiously before realization finally cleared her features, excitement taking over seamlessly. "They're finished? Really?"

Chuckling, he waved a hand at the box in her arms. "See for yourself." Without another word, she knelt on the floor and pulled the lid off, childish glee shining in her eyes as she carefully pulled back the wrappings covering her new blades, awe making her mouth open as she slowly reached out to draw a finger along the dull side of the shining metal. "They're beautiful."

"Heather." Calling her attention away from the blades in front of her, Glorfindel held out another wrapped item to her, his easy smile giving nothing away as she took it with a curious expression. "What is it?"

"You're holding it, open and see." Folding his hands behind his back, Glorfindel watched as she carefully untied the twine holding the wrapping in place and unfolded it so she could take out the leather carefully with furrowed brows. Looking up at him in question, he simply waved a hand at her without a word, waiting for her to figure it out herself.

Heaving a small sigh, Heather turned her attention back to the leather in her hands, eyeing it curiously and drawing a finger along the silver filigree stamped into the sides thoughtfully. It was pretty, whatever it was. She would call it a travel pack, but... They weren't made right for that, if anything, her blades might- Her blades!

With wide eyes, she looked between the leather in her hands down to the shining blades still laying innocently in the box in front of her. Of course! "It's a sheath!"

"Yes." Her mentor stated simply, kneeling down in front of her so he could take the leather from her hands, turning it over so she could see the straps attached to the back of it. "I designed it so your blades can be released with a simple pull, but difficult for them to fall out of." He explained further, eyes flicking up to her face as she watched what he was doing with intense concentration.

Reaching down, he carefully picked up one of her blades, turning it over so she could see the underside of the handle, revealing it to be flat on one side. "The blades fit together as one when placed inside, I believed it to be easier to use one sheath than two."

"This is... Perfect, thank you!" Heather breathed, throwing her arms around him spontaneously, hugging the surprised Ellon with more strength than necessary. "I love it!" Pulling away, she ignored his wide-eyed expression and carefully picked up the other blade, fitting the two of them together thoughtfully and sliding them into the sheath with a wide smile. A perfect fit, leave it to Glorfindel to never leave something half-done. Looking up at him, she jumped to her feet, fiddling with the straps for a moment before finally figuring out how they worked. Fitting them around her waist, Heather shifted the sheath to settle her blades against the small of her back. Easy to reach and out of the way, this Elf thought of everything.

Turning her attention back to Glorfindel, Heather picked up the box still on the floor and tugged his arm in excitement. "Come on, I want to try them out! Get up Old Man!" Shaking off his surprise, he chuckled and climbed back to his feet, looking down at her beaming face while she slipped her arm in his with familiar ease. "Come then, we shall see if you can handle a weapon of your own creation." He teased her, watching as she narrowed her eyes playfully up at him. "I'll show you, I'll be the master at my Moon Blades."

"Moon Blades?" This was the first he ever heard of it, watching as she reached around and patted the sheath resting comfortably against her lower back fondly. "I gave the weapon a name, Moon Blades, because I got the idea for their shape from the moon itself." Flushing with embarrassment, she kept her eyes focused in front of them in order to avoid the amusement she knew would be sparkling in his eyes at her statement. "Not very imaginative I know, but it's better than calling them 'blades' or 'weapon' all the time."

"It is a good name." Glorfindel chuckled, walking outside with her as they made their way towards the clearing he had been training her in. "Much better than some others I've heard."

"Suppose so." Heather huffed, unwilling to look up at him still while they wandered into the shadows of the trees. "I'll think of something better, words were my trade back home, I know I'll come up with something else." Letting go of his arm, she wandered into the center of the clearing and reached behind her to tug the blades free with little effort. Pulling them apart, she tightened her hands on the blades experimentally and held one up to the light.

Stopping at the edge of the clearing, Glorfindel watched her study them up close for a moment before stepping closer. "With the unique nature of the Moon Blade, you will need time to acquaint yourself with their movements." He finally said, gaining her attention and watching as she settled into her stance with ease. As she said once before: 'Fun time is over.'

"I belive some time to experiment with them is in order." He continued, making sure she stayed focused on him and walked closer so he stood several feet away. "Try to make them spin as you originally designed them for."

Taking in a breath, Heather nodded and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she dropped her eyes down to the blades in her hands, testing her grip for a moment and tightening the straps resting across her knuckles before flipping her right hand up and prompting the blade to swish to the side only to fall back into it's resting position after only turning half way.

"It's heavier than I thought it would be." She admitted after a beat, lifting her hand back up and testing it's weight for a moment. "I can already tell my arms are going to be sore if I spin them around too much."

"The muscles needed to use your blades to their full effect will develop with training, for now, we will see how you work with them traditionally." Glorfindel agreed, stepping back a few paces and waved a hand. "Overhead."

* * *

Tugging off the straps holding the sheath to her back off sluggishly, Heather set it aside carefully before stumbling towards her bed and allowing herself to fall face-first into the soft bedding with a low grunt. Her arms were throbbing, she could feel each beat of her heart in the screaming muscles as she attempted not to move an inch. It was hard work, harder than she thought it would be considering all the thought she put into making the damned things. It had taken nearly all day for her to finally get the hang of swinging the blade around all the way like she had originally wanted them to do, and in doing so, she had pulled one of the muscles in the back of her arm.

Groaning when another throb in her arms called attention to them again, Heather shifted her head to the side and sucked in a deep breath before pushing herself to roll over on her back painfully. It hurt to even lift her arms, much less hold anything that weighed more than a pound, even that hurt really. But... She felt a pleased smile cross her face as she glanced over to where her Mood Blades rested against the wall. It was worth it, to finally hold something she had dreamed up in her mind in her very hands was way more rewarding than the accomplishment she had coming up with them.

Glorfindel had admitted after training that they were the exact blade they were looking for before. She worked with them better than any other sword or weapon he had placed in her hands before, the versatile function of the handles allowed her for a greater ease of movement, and the fact they came as a pair made it harder for her opponent to find an opening to aim for. In short- they were made for her and her alone.

He had attempted to use them himself after some coaxing on her part, and to her astonishment, he could barely handle them at all. The Elf always seemed so sure of himself, so in control, it was a shock to see him attempt a swing and nearly end up hurting himself in the process. His reasoning for her being so comfortable with them actually made more sense when he explained it to her: It was fairly simple now she had time to think it over. Considering she had come up with the blades herself, she understood their inner workings better than the ones that even made it. She had been prepared for the way they spun, and tightened her grip on the handle accordingly when she went to swing. The leather grip tightening on the inner rod to keep it from moving.

And... Flushing, she closed her eyes with a light laugh, it didn't hurt that she had pretended to use them frequently after coming up with the idea behind them. It was a rather embarrassing thing to admit, so she never uttered a word to the Ellon while they trained. But, thanks to her pretending for months, she already had an idea of how she wanted to work with them. Already, in her minds eye, she could see herself shifting through new stances, using the blades as a block by spinning it at just the right time...

However... The days of training to get up to that point would be grueling if they were anything like today was. Another painful throb in her arms called Heather back to the present with a wince. Hopefully they'd be in better shape after a good nights sleep considering she had to get up with the sun and meet Glorfindel back in the clearing to resume training again.

A soft knock on her door drew Heather from her thoughts once more. " **Tolo**." (Come) She called out to whoever decided to bother her and flopped her head back before the door even opened. "I see training was not kind to you today." A familiar voice sounded, making her twitch in surprise and jerk her head back up to stare in surprise at Strider where he stood in the doorway, his lips twisted up in wry amusement at her prone figure.

"Strider!" Struggling a bit, she sat up with a wince and blinked over at the man with a bright smile. "I didn't know you were back!" Chuckling lightly, he pulled the chair from her rarely used vanity and settled it down in front of her so he could sit comfortably. "Just a short while ago." He agreed, settling back and folding his hands in front of him as he eyed the young Elleth curiously. Elrond had spoken to him earlier about her changes in appearance and her training with Glorfindel.

It was hard to believe the short woman he found stumbling in the woods so long ago turned into this petite Elleth in front of him. If it weren't for her familiar mannerisms and head of red hair, he'd have sword she was someone else. Well... She wasn't exactly petite, he relented to himself, eyes flicking over to gaze at the toned muscle in her arms and hands. Small, but not helpless. Turning his attention back to her face, he offered another smile and relaxed farther into the chair. "Your father told me of your training with Glorfindel."

Laughing lightly, Heather lifted her sore arms slightly and let them fall back on her lap with a slight wince. "If the fact that I can barely lift these without screaming doesn't tell you how it's going, then you need to brush up on your observation skills, my friend."

"Of course." He laughed and leaned forward with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "I also hear word that you designed your own weapon?" This time Heather's smile nearly split her face, satisfaction settling on her features as she nodded over to where she had settled her sheath against the wall. "Right over there, take a look."

Getting to his feet, Strider moved over towards the wall and picked up the leather curiously, studying it for a moment before sliding the blades out carefully and setting it aside so he could study the blades closely. Taking the handles in his hand, he blinked in surprise when they shifted ever so slightly, making him look over at Heather in alarm, thinking he had somehow broken them so easily. Seeing her burst of laughter at his reaction though, made him furrow his brows and glance back down at the blades in his hands, tightening and loosening his grip experimentally. "They're made to spin!" He finally exclaimed, making Heather laugh again in delight at his surprise.

"Yep, and it's a lot harder than you'd think." She explained once she calmed back down, getting to her feet slowly, she walked over to where he stood, hands reaching out to spin the blades to their resting point, the flat sides settling comfortably against his forearms and stepped back. "It takes specific muscles to get them to spin, ones you don't normally train when you use a bow or traditional sword." Heather added, eyeing the blades he held up critically then looked up at his face. "Well?"

Turning his attention away from the unusual blades he held, Strider looked down at her seriously, a small smile tugging his lips to the side in a familiar half-smile. "They are unique, like the one that made them." He held the blades back out to a flustered Heather. "I believe you will end up a force to be reckoned with once you master them." He added seriously, watching as she settled them back into their sheath and turned to face him with a shy grin. "You think so?"

Smiling at the young girl he had begun to view as a sister, Aragorn settled a hand on her head fondly. "Of course. Now come, it is nearly time for the evening meal." Moving his hand to her shoulder, Strider lead Heather from her room and out into the halls, heading towards the dining hall. "I'm starving, but I doubt I can hold anything." She grumbled, earning a laugh from him as he lead her along. "You managed to hold those blades without a problem."

"That's because they're my children!" She grouched, folding her arms across her chest at his amused smile. "Don't laugh at me, I made them."

"I didn't laugh."

"You wanted to."

"Perhaps, but I didn't." With another grin at her grumpy expression, he rustled her hair lightly, and earned a scowl from the Elleth beside him. "I'm not a kid."

Wisely keeping his comments to himself, Aragorn dropped his arm back to his side and smiled lightly while they walked along. Glancing down at her after a few moments of silence, he studied her relaxed expression then faced forward again.

"Legolas asked after you."

And just like that, all her good feelings and mood vanished like smoke, her lips twisting downwards in a slight frown. "So?"

"He inquired as to how you were doing after hearing of your arrival back in Imladris." Aragorn explained carefully, knowing he was treading dangerous waters with this conversation. Glancing at her, he studied the closed-off expression Heather suddenly had on her face. "He was worried."

"He can worry all he wants." Heather snipped back, her eyes flicking up at the man beside her then focusing forward once more. Lengthening her strides, she picked up the pace in order to reach the dining hall quicker so she could avoid this conversation as soon as possible. "I don't care."

"Heather." A hand came and settled on her shoulder, gently pulling her to a stop and turning her around so she could face Strider, his lips tugged down in a frown. "He is your friend, and worries for you and your safety. After hearing you nearly faded, he was beside himself."

Folding her arms, she looked away from him and chewed her lip slightly in order to bite back the childish retorts she had hovering on her tongue. "Look, I get why he was worried. I just... I don't want to deal with him or his prejudices right now. What they did-"

"Was a natural action with all elves in Greenwood." Aragorn cut her off sternly, making her look up at him with a light shake of her shoulder. "For many years they fought with dwarves, and one Elleth that stayed with them for a few weeks will not change their views." Making sure he had her focus, he dropped his hand to his side and tugged out a folded letter to hold out to her.

"When you have gotten past your childish views of the situation, perhaps you will give him a chance to explain himself." Pushing the letter into her hands, he straightened up and rested his hand on her shoulder again. "Despite when you believe, he cares for you, Heather. Do not let something so small ruin that." With that said, he turned and walked into the dining hall, leaving Heather alone in the hallway to contemplate what he had said.

Looking down at the paper in her hands, she frowned at the familiar scrolling script she recognized as Legolas's handwriting. Considering it was in English, it couldn't have been anyone else actually. Crumpling it in her fist, she debated on throwing it away and heaved a small sigh before stuffing it into her pocket.

She may not be ready to read it now, but she knew eventually she would want to, if only to see how he wanted to try to explain himself and his father. Taking a breath, she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair while walking in a slower pace towards the dining hall, deep in thought over what Strider had told her.

It would seem not everthing was what the surface showed, even in this unusual world.

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	29. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 **I know I usually put English in bold, but as the twins will be in the beginning of the chapter quite a bit, I'm going to have bold signify them speaking at the same time.**

 **Don't ask me why, but I think it's adorable as hell when twins speak like that.**

Side note: _**Bold Italic**_ is English.

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

 **~*~ PLEASE REVIEW ~*~**

* * *

"From the right." Glorfindel's cool, no-nonsense tone cut through the brisk morning air. With a slight groan, Heather shifted her stance and swung her right moon blade outwards in an attack, her left arm twitching up in an unconscious reaction to block her middle. "Good, overhead."

Biting back a growl of frustration, she moved her feet again and brought both swords down in an X formation, slicing her invisible enemy with them. "You leave your sides open doing this, what will you do should your opponent duck and attack?" Stepping back, Heather furrowed her brows in thought before she shifted her arms downward, bringing her blades in front of her chest rather than over her head. "You cover your front, but what about above?" Stepping towards her, Glorfindel pinned the younger elf with a stern look. "Remember, your blades are independent from each other while still-"

"-Being the same. I _know_." Heather growled in frustration, bringing her blades down to her sides and heaving a sigh. "One sword goes overhead, the other in front to block." She added tiredly, moving the blades into position as she spoke. "I keep forgetting."

Closing his eyes in slight frustration, Glorfindel let out a sigh. "Heather, it is fine for you to make mistakes in training with me. However, if you wish to help your brothers and father with patrol, then you must remember you cannot afford to forget while with them. It could very well cost you your life, or the life of another."

Dropping her head down, Heather felt her irritation fade away to be replaced with regret. She knew he was right, but she was getting frustrated with doing the same training day in and day out without making any progress. "I'm sorry." She frowned, staring down at her bare feet with a frown. "I just... Why can't I get any better?" Bursting out, Heather looked up at Glorfindel pleadingly. "I keep making the same mistakes, I keep forgetting to do the same thing! What's wrong with me?"

With an understanding smile, Glorfindel smiled in understanding, placing his hand on her shoulder gently. "Relax." He murmured softly, watching her attempt to get her breathing under control. "Many young elves struggle with what you do." Leaning down so he could look her in the eye, he offered a wry smile at her lost expression. "Even I did at one point."

"You?" Heather snorted, pulling away from his hand and paced across the clearing to where she left her pack of food and water. "You, the perfect warrior? The Elf everyone claims killed more than one Balrog? The Elf that came back from the dead? Forgive me, Old Man, but I can't see you having any problems with training." With a scowl, she plopped onto the ground after sheathing her blades and rummaged in her bag for an apple to bite viciously.

Moving to seat himself beside her, Glorfindel let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Yes, even I had troubles in training, if you believe me or not." Turning to watch her for a moment, he smiled at her suspicious squint. "I could not shift my footing from overhead to behind without tripping for several months."

"You, trip?" Snorting lightly once more, Heather returned to her apple, turning it over in her hand thoughtfully. "As much as I'd love to believe you did worse than me in something, it's hard to believe."

"Your blades are difficult for me to handle." He pointed out, earning a quick grin, her self confidence shining for just a moment. "True, but that's just because I'm the one that invented them."

Humming in agreement, Glorfindel leaned back against the tree behind him, closing his eyes and tipping his head up to let the morning sun shine on his face. "Perhaps a break is in order."

"I thought that's what we were doing?" Heather raised an eyebrow in question, looking over at him as she tossed the apple up in the air idly. "From swordplay. Go retrieve your bow and meet me in the archery grounds." With a quick smile down at her, he got to his feet and started walking away before turning back again. "Bring your blades as well, it would do you good to carry them most times to become accustomed to their presence." He added, poking fun at what happened earlier while walking there, her sheath continually catching on various bushes and trees.

Flushing in embarrassment, Heather withheld the urge to flip him off and nodded sullenly, ignoring his laugh as she climbed to her feet as well and picked up her pack. Tossing a glance in the direction her mentor disappeared into, she allowed a wry smile to twist her lips to the side and shook her head. Annoying he may be, but he always had the ability to make her feel better about her short-comings, despite her attitude anyway.

Climbing up a nearby tree, Heather launched herself to the next one, the familiar exhilaration of being able to do even this rushing through her as she made her way back towards the halls of her home. Of course... She grimaced and came to a stop at the last tree, hand resting against the trunk beside her as she looked out over the valley. It wasn't without plenty of mistakes on her part, falling, missing the branch and slamming face first into the tree being among them.

Climbing down, she settled on the balcony of her room, looking around carefully to be sure no one spotted her and slipped into her room. Leaving so early in the morning made her forget the shoes she was meant to wear inside when she came back. The last thing she wanted was her Ada to realize she had been barefoot inside after walking in the trees. Slipping quietly towards her wardrobe, she opened it slowly, shushing the soft creak the door made automatically. Shooting a look towards her bedroom door, she reached in quickly and snagged her bow and quiver, easily slipping them onto her person and shutting the door once more.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she moved towards the balcony and climbed back out onto the tree and made her way down to the ground. So far so good, with a self-congratulatory pat on the back, Heather grinned and set off towards the archery grounds. Not a single soul spotted her or even knew what happened.

"For shame, Heather." Except, of course, the twins that stood right in the middle of the path, both wearing identical grins. "To go inside without shoes." The other twin, Elladan shook his head in mock dismay. "Ada will not be happy."

"Ada shouldn't even know unless someone tells him." Heather hedged, eyeing them anxiously. They had stopped playing pranks on her, but it didn't stop them from trying to annoy her every chance they got with other means.

"True..." Elrohir agreed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, eyes sliding over to look at his twin with a small smile. "But... I would be amiss to not let him know why there are dirty footprints in the halls."

"I snuck in through the balcony of my room, they aren't in the halls." Heather argued, already fed up with whatever game it was they were playing with her now. "Come on, I'm going to be late..." She added with a whine, her eyes flicking between the two of them as they offered her matching grins.

 **"Alright."** They said together, making her twitch slightly in surprise. "But you have to take us with you." Elrohir added, making her hopeful smile deflate. "Why would I do that?"

"Because we want to watch you train." Elladan shrugged slightly, raising his hands in the air.

"But Glorfindel told us we couldn't unless you said so." His twin added with the same shrug. **"So, we want you to take us with."** They finished, sending her charming grins at the same time.

"I can't believe this, you're... You're _**blackmailing**_ me?" Heather gaped at them, watching the twins share a confused look then turn back to face her with a slight frown on their faces. "What does... _**Black... Mail**_ mean?" Elladan finally asked, bringing her back to the fact she slipped into English without realizing it.

"It means you're holding something over my head in order to get me to do something for you." She explained with a frown of her own, watching them share a quick look then look at her again with wide smiles. **"Then yes, we are."**

"You two are impossible." She growled, making them chuckle as she pushed her way past them. "Well come on then, but I'm just working with my bow right now." With a reluctant sigh, she waved at them to follow her.

"That's fine." Elrohir piped up, falling into step beside her with a cheerful smile. "Your archery is more fun to watch than the others."

"Why would you say that? I'm no better than them." Heather looked up at him with a confused expression. Reaching out, he ruffled her hair playfully and skipped away from her swat with a laugh. "Because it's rare for someone to become an accomplished archer with little training." He explained when she shot him a venomous look, hands raising up in front of him in self defense.

"Don't see why, it's fairly easy." Heather huffed, turning the corner and catching sight of Glorfindel standing in the center of the training field with an amused look on his face once he caught sight of her tag-alongs.

"Not for us." Elladan piped up with a slight shrug when she looked up at him, an easy grin slipping on his lips. "It took months to be able to shoot a target at all." Shooting them a surprised look, Heather stayed silent and came to a stop in front of Glorfindel. "Sorry, they wouldn't let me go unless I brought them with." She apologized reluctantly, waving at her brothers with a small sigh.

Eyeing the twins with a steely gaze, Glorfindel nodded and moved to the side, motioning for her to take his place and gestured towards the target set farther away than the others. Offering him a smile, Heather gratefully shifted into place and slid her bow from her shoulder, fingers testing the string automatically as she eyed the target critically. The wind was nearly nonexistent, so it wouldn't be a problem, but the sun shining in her eyes could become one unless she moved so the trees shaded it...

Lost in thought of her clinical observation of her surroundings, Heather fell into a familiar rythim of pulling out an arrow and notching it into her bow, muscles tightening as she pulled the string back and took aim. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she noted the silence that spread between her three companions but the thought was dismissed as she breathed out easily, fingers loosening on the arrow and letting it fly.

Tracking it's movement, she allowed a smirk to curve her lips, knowing already it would hit it's mark before it even left her fingers. With a dull thud, the arrowhead sank into the very center of the target, burying itself and falling still once more. Taking in a deep breath, Heather let the stress of her earlier lesson melt away and relaxed completely as she turned to look at her brothers and Glorfindel. "I feel so much better now."

Shaking his head slightly, Glorfindel offered her one of his rare, approving smiles and moved to stand beside her. "So it would seem." Turning to look at the target, he nodded approvingly and folded his hands behind his back. "I find it easier to work on something difficult after spending time on something I find easy."

Looking over at Heather from the corner of his eye, he watched her relaxed smile as she ran her fingers fondly along the wood of the bow. "You can continue if you wish." He added when she glanced up at him hopefully. Another grin spread across her face at his words, blue eyes lightning up in excitement. "You make it sound like I wouldn't want to."

Smiling himself, he stepped back and resumed watching her as she pulled another arrow from her quiver, focus settling onto her face as she stared down the next target. Every move she made precise, her eyes leaving no bit of information forgotten as she studied for just a moment, then lifted her bow and seamlessly let the arrow fly. In that moment, he could see just how deadly she could be if she wanted to. He had been right telling her archery came natural, but it was an understatement.

Watching her as she settled into the ease of using her bow, he admitted to himself she wasn't only a natural. It was as if the action was made just for her. Created just so she could prove her deadly precision and show her sharp study of her surroundings. Should anyone ever get in her way while she held that bow in her hand, he pitied them.

"Incredible." Elrohir breathed, bringing Glorfindel from his thoughts and his attention over to the twins as they watched their younger sister with something akin to awe. "It has been barely months and already she could prove herself against the best archers that have taken years to train their skill." Elladan agreed, unconsciously nodding as he watched Heather draw another arrow, her speed at firing picking up with each one shot.

"If she can master archery so quickly and have such deadly accuracy, I can only imagine how she will be once she truly steps into swordplay." Glorfindel murmured, making them glance over at the older Elf then back towards Heather as she fired her last arrow into the center of her last target. **"I pity whoever she goes against in the future."**

* * *

Breathing out a relaxed breath, Heather tugged the last arrow free and slipped it into her quiver with a smile. It was the first time in a while that she felt so calm, it was therapeutic to use her bow so easily. Soothing her raw ego over not getting her sword work right and giving her the boost of confidence she needed.

Turning around, she blinked in surprise at Glorfindel standing alone at the edge of the field and walked over to join him. "Where did they go?" She asked finally, glancing around the area curiously then back up at the ellon in front of her.

"They left hours ago." He grinned lightly down at Heather as her eyebrows raised in surprise. "You have been firing arrows since mid morning."

"That long? I had no idea..." Murmuring under her breath, Heather turned to look across the training grounds then back up at him with a wry shrug. "Suppose it can't be helped, what time is it?"

Glancing up towards the sun, Glorfindel studied it a moment then turned to start walking back towards the halls, easily motioning for her to follow him. "I suspect dinner is being served at this moment. Your father will wonder where you are if you fail to show up." Heather laughed lightly and fell into step beside him, her bright smile flashing up at him mischievously. "True, but considering you are my mentor..."

"I would be the one in trouble should he find you skipped more than one meal today." He finished, looking down at her with an unamused expression, earning a light peal of laughter from the young elleth as she skipped ahead of him on the path, spinning around on her heel so she could walk backwards in front of him, a fake look of shock appearing on her face as she held a hand to her chest. "Don't tell me you thought I would so such a horrible thing to my favorite elf!"

"With how much time you spend with your brothers, yes I do." He deadpanned, making her laugh again and shake her head, hands raising up in surrender. "Alright, you got me." Slowing down, she turned and resumed walking beside him, her smile stretching slightly at some idle thought.

Glancing down at her, Glorfindel studied her face a moment then turned away when she looked up in question. "Your favorite elf? I'm sure your father and siblings will be crushed to hear such a thing."

"Ah, they have each other. They don't need me to keep their egos afloat." Flapping a hand in the air, Heather looked around quickly. "Don't tell them I said that." Shooting a quick, narrow eyed look up at Glorfindel, she pointed a finger at his smug expression. "I mean it."

"Perhaps if you were to give me the pleasure of your company outside of training, I may reconsider."

Stopping mid stride, Heather stared at him as he took a few steps farther and turned to look at her with a twinkle in his eye she didn't like. "You accuse me of being like the twins and here you are pulling the same trick on me they did earlier." Huffing in irritation, she crossed her arms and tapped a foot on the ground, staring at the elf across from her in slight irritation. What was it with these elves that made them want to invade her time alone?

Heaving a small sigh, Heather let her shoulders slump in defeat. "Alright, fine. But I'm telling you I'm not as interesting as you apparently think I am."

"Considering your sharp whit, I find that hard to believe." With a smile, Glorfindel held his arm out to her with a light chuckle as she took it begrudgingly and allowed him to lead her towards her home once more. "After all, not many ellon can claim to have spent much time with you as you are difficult to find when you wish to be alone."

"Alone being the key word here, Old Man. I enjoy my privacy." Heather grouched, hanging her head slightly much to his amusement. "Always have, even before coming here." She added, looking up at him with a thoughtful expression this time. "Suppose that's why I only had a couple of good friends after a while."

"Then mayhap a change could be in order?" Tightening his grip on her arm, Glorfindel regained her attention easily. "It couldn't hurt."

"Alright, alright." Rolling her eyes, Heather smiled and shook her head lightly, red hair catching the fading light and shimmering like a flame before vanishing into the shade from the trees once more. "You wouldn't be the first old man I spent time with anyway, one more couldn't hurt."

Pretended to be hurt, Glorfindel tisked and shook his own head. "I'm wounded, you believe me to be so far gone in years that I cannot have fun."

"I didn't say that, I just said you were old."

"And old usually implies an impatience with younger activities."

"You saying you don't sit around surrounded by dusty books and things that remind you of the good old days?" Heather snickered, making Glorfindel shoot her a smirk and stop in front of the door to her room, letting her arm free and bowing at the waist in an exaggerated motion. "Tomorrow, you will see." Leaving that cryptic statement hanging in the air, he turned and walked away to join the others for dinner.

Staring after him with a bit of confusion, Heather heaved a small sigh and disappeared into her room to get ready for the evening meal in peace.

* * *

Morning dawned bright the next day, followed by the singing of birds as they greeted the sun in their usual fashion. Groaning slightly, Heather drug the blanket up over her head and burrowed deeper into the bedding, intent on going back to sleep. She didn't have training today, she didn't have any lessons on Elvish writing today. All she had to do was sleep and relax...

Just as she was starting to drift back off, a soft knock on her door drug her back from the sweet embrace of sleep and back into the land of the living with a vengeance. Grumbling softly under her breath, she shoved the blanket off of her and stumbled to her feet, blearily making her way to the door and cracking it open with a yawn. "Wha...?"

A familiar pair of blue eyes smiled down at her as Heather tried to come to terms as to exactly why Glorfindel stood on the other side of her door. "I believe you agreed to spend the day with me." He finally prompted when she failed to realize why he was there exactly, watching as her sleep-clouded eyes cleared with understanding.

Narrowing her gaze at him, Heather pulled the door open farther so she could stare up at him fully. "Yes... But I wasn't aware I had to get up so early." She added with a raised eyebrow, biting back another yawn as it threatened to crack her jaw.

Studying her mussed hair and half-awake face, Glorfindel smiled easily and lifted one of his shoulders in a shrug, something he had picked up from watching her. "What I have in mind requires us to travel most of the morning in order to reach it."

"You want me up, bright eyed and fully aware of everything at sunrise... So we can go hiking?" She asked disbelievingly, leaning a shoulder against her door frame and held one hand up to cover her mouth as she yawned again with a slight growl of frustration. A twinkling in his eyes only made Heather frustrated as he straightened up and placed his hands behind his back. "It will be worth it, I believe." Turning away, he glanced outside for a moment then looked back down at her. "Pack some food as we won't return until after the evening meal."

Turning around, he started walking down the hall away from Heather as she stared at him in frustration, a slight spring in his step. "I will await you by the forge."

Gaping after him, Heather held back the urge to throw something at the back of his head and sulked back into her room, apparently awake for the rest of the day as she began shuffling around for a small bag to put whatever she apparently needed inside. Swearing softly under her breath in English, she quickly changed clothes and slipped out into the hall, mindful that other elves have better luck than her to be asleep at this time.

Stopping in the kitchens to pick up some travel-worthy food, Heather stuck a plum in her mouth and moved outside to join Glorfindel by the cold forges. Glancing up, she caught sight of his _annoyingly_ golden hair and slumped over to join him.

Glancing over to where Heather slumped against a nearby post, the older elf bit back a laugh at her less-than-enthusiastic expression at being there so early. "Come, we have ground to cover." Waving his hand lightly, he motioned for the younger elf to follow him into the trees, moving in a direction she never bothered with before as she normally stuck near the elven village and it's surrounding woods.

Several minutes later, she had finished her plum and tossed the seed into the trees, eyes wide awake now as she stared around them curiously while they walked. "Where are we going?"

Striding along easily, Glorfindel offered her a secretive smile and lifted his fingers to his lips teasingly. "You have a clearing you spend time in when not training. It is my turn to show you my favorite place." Winking down at her, he ignored the suspicious glance she sent his way and continued walking on. "However, I am trusting you to not tell anyone where it is. I fear they may just come and intrude on my peace."

"Of course." Smiling slightly, she looked up at the trees and took in a deep breath. Not being a morning person made Heather miss several things about the valley she lived in, one of them being the early morning air and the sounds of birds singing their morning song. But, considering she had been forced to wake up long before she was ready to that day, it wasn't something she could be angry about considering the beautiful start to the day.

* * *

Glorfindel hadn't been lying or stretching the truth at all when he said it would take most of the morning to reach his secluded place. But he had been right, it was well worth the walk to get there. Letting the pack she carried drop to the ground, Heather walked forward as if in a trance and took in the sight in front of them.

A waterfall from the top of the valley cliff fell down in a thunderous roar into a large pond surrounded by trees full of flowers. The sky overhead open above the water then shading the rest of the ground away from the pond. "This is beautiful." Looking over at Glorfindel, she smiled wide at his pleased expression and spun around in a circle. "How did you find it?"

Moving towards the water, he settled himself down in the sand and ran his fingers through it idly, his gaze shifting inward as he spoke. "I had a rough day of training and wanted to escape from everything..." He murmured with a slight chuckle. "I decided the farther I was away from everyone, the better. I stumbled upon this place by happy coincidence actually. It had been starting to rain and I ran for shelter. Nodding off to the side, he pointed out the cave sitting beside the waterfall. "After the storm had passed, I walked out and was treated to this view."

Stretching out both arms, he held them out gesturing to the entire area with a delighted laugh. "I thought I may have wandered into the undying lands with the perfection of it all." Leaning back on his hands, he breathed out and closed his eyes, letting the sun shine down on him, perfectly content to relax where he was.

Frowning slightly, Heather moved to settle onto the sand beside him, leaning forward on her bent knees as she stared out at the water thoughtfully. "What are the Undying Lands?"

Cracking open one of his eyes, Glorfindel eyed the young elf beside him curiously a moment then closed it again in thought. "It is the home of all Elves, where all are called to return to eventually." He stated simply, leaving her to draw her own conclusions and stood up. "Come, I wish to show you something." Holding out his hand, he grinned down at her as she looked up at him suspiciously. "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this..?" She asked hesitantly, letting him take her hand and haul her to her feet so he could tug her towards the waterfall.

"You may, at first." With a wide smile, he let her go and began climbing up the cliff face, easily finding hand holds to grip onto due to years of practice. "Come now! You claim to be younger than me, yet you cannot climb a cliff?" He called down to her when he noticed she wasn't Following him. "I've never climbed a rock wall without a harness before!" Heather called back, her eyes staring up at him in shock as he steadily made his way up to the top and turned around to sit on the edge with a large smile. "I've never worn one."

"Of course you haven't." Growling under her breath, Heather studied the rock in front of her with trepidation and slowly started her ascent, her heart nearly beating out of her chest with each movement she made, sure it would be the last one. Reaching up again, she stubbornly kept her eyes on the rock in front of her, refusing to look down like she did before. Reaching forward for another hand hold, she felt her stomach bottom out when she met nothing but air.

Before she could panic, a warm hand grabbed her arm and tugged her up onto the flat surface so she could breath easily. Laying face down, Heather closed her eyes and focused on slowing her heart rate down before finally sitting up and sending Glorfindel a trembling smile. "Thank you, I thought I was going to die for a second there."

"I would have caught you before you fell." He chuckled, crouching down beside her as she slowly turned around to look out across the valley. "Wow..." Breathing out in wonder, she moved towards the edge and gazed out across the trees as they rustled in the breeze. "Beautiful."

"While the view is attractive... That is not why I brought you up here." Her companions voice drug her attention away from the view and over to where he stood near the river as it emptied over the edge of the cliff. Flashing her a wide grin, he stretched his arms out over his head, loosening the muscles there. "This is why." With a wave, he turned and jumped over the edge, making Heather cry out in shock and race over to where he had stood, leaning over to catch sight of him just as he let out a loud whoop of glee and disappeared into the water with a perfect dive.

Dropping to her knees, she stared down at where he vanished, holding her breath until his golden head popped up, his familiar grin shining up at her. "You're crazy!" She shouted to him, earning a boisterous laugh from the elf as he swam backwards in the water. Reaching up, he brushed his hair from his face and waved an arm to her. "Fairly good for an old man, no?"

"You're nuts if you think I'm jumping off of this thing!" Standing up, Heather folded her arms across her chest and glared down at him as he chuckled and floated on his back below her. "Fair enough, climb down and we will leave." He called back up to her in a smug voice, opening her mouth to reply back, she felt her voice catch in her throat.

That son of a-

Glancing over to where she had climbed up, Heather swallowed thickly, remembering just how long it took her to even reach the top, and that was going up. Going down, however...

"You did this on purpose!" She snapped, turning back to look down at him in frustration, fighting back the urge to stomp her foot like a child. "I have no idea what you mean, Heather. I merely thought you may enjoy the view." He grinned lazily up at her, his twinkling eyes saying otherwise. "I'll get you back for this, Glorfindel." She swore, earning another laugh from the elf as she leaned over slightly to eye the distance between her and the water.

"I would dearly love to see you try."

"Just you wait." Scowling down at him, she took a couple steps back and sucked in a deep breath. She had never, in all of her life, imagined she'd go cliff diving. Sure, she thought it was fun... Watching the videos from the safety of her home.

Shaking her head, she ran a trembling hand through her hair and closed her eyes. Now or never. Not giving enough time to talk herself out of it, she sprinted forward and jumped as far out as she could from the edge, fear gripping her momentarily as she felt gravity take over. Unable to think of anything else, she curled up in a ball and sucked in another deep breath just as she splashed down in the water.

Flinging out her arms and legs in an effort to stop her downward travel, Heather opened her eyes in the surprisingly clear water and pulled herself up towards the sunlight. Breaking the surface of the water, she sucked in a deep breath and looked around, searching for Glorfindel and spied him not too far away, his eyes wide in surprise and his hair hanging in front of his face as he stared over at her.

Reaching up, Heather brushed the hair from her face and stuck her tongue out at him, making his lip twitch slightly. Stifling a laugh, he pushed his hair away from his own face and glanced up at the cliff then back down at her with an amused shine in his eyes.

"Is that how all people dive into water where you're from?"

"Only the ones skilled enough to." Laughing, Heather swam over towards him and pushed his head under quickly and darted away out of the water quickly before he could retaliate. Coming back up for air, Glorfindel laughed and sloshed out of the water himself, flopping down on the sand beside her and running a hand through his hair. Looking down at him, Heather shook her head and sat down beside him. "Alright, alright. You proved yourself to me, I can't call you old man anymore if you do that as often as you seem to."

Turning his head to look up at her with a wide smile, Glorfindel tossed some sand at her and climbed back to his feet. "About time... Want to go again?"

Looking up at him with wide eyes, Heather stared at his outstretched hand and up at his expectant smile before feeling her own lips curl up in answer and grabbed his hand. "Definitely."

* * *

 **~*~ PLEASE REVIEW ~*~**


	30. Chapter 28 READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Chapter 28**

 **I know it's not very long, but I've been off and on on this chapter for the past month.**

 **As I'm sure some of you noticed, I posted a new story as well, so between that and this, not to mention christmas coming up, I've been trying to update when I can. I didn't really finish this chapter until earlier today, but I didn't get the chance to proofread until just a few moments ago. Even then, I'm sure I missed a few things, please if you notice, point them out for me?**

 **Now then! I do have a shoutout to one particular review** : _ **daughterofthechief**_

 _ **I did see your review, and it actually kicked me into high gear to finish this chapter as soon as possible. My readers have you to thank for this update!**_

 _ **I would have replied normally, but your PMs were disabled, so I hope you see this.**_

 _ **-TL**_

 **Anyway, I just wanted to make a few notes for you all:**

 **As the Christmas Season is almost upon us, I will NOT be updating until after the new year. I will be writing on the chapters I plan on posting next, but nothing will be posted until January. I realize this is a moot point considering how long it takes me to update a story, but I wanted to let you know there will be a definite wait this time.**

 **Ummm, I think that's it.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

 _Elvish_

 _ **English**_

 **~*~PLEASE REVIEW~*~**

* * *

The scent of flowers wafted over Heather's face, bringing with it the warm winds that normally came with this time of day. Her eyes closed against everything around her, she pricked her ears forward slightly, listening carefully to her surroundings.

Hushed footsteps whispered over the grass behind her, making the Elleth's lips twitch up in a slight smile. Not saying anything, she shifted her feet just the smallest bit to the side and waited with her hands gripping the blades tightly.

Silence followed, the only sound being the leaves rustling lightly in the breeze- there! Another footstep, heading towards her followed by a slight swish in the air. Spinning around, eyes still closed, Heather dropped to one knee and lifted one blade up to block the oncoming strike, the other lashing out and stopping just short of her opponents side.

A low chuckle made her eyes snap open and look up at Glorfindel, a gleam of pride in his gaze as he looked down at her. "Very good, Heather. You have done very well today." Backing away, he brought his sword down to his side and offered her a hand to stand up. "It only took me several months of the same thing over and over again." Grabbing onto his hand, Heather let him pull her back to her feet and rolled her head around to loosen her neck muscles.

"Perhaps, but with this understanding, you may finally begin to truly understand swordplay." Smiling lightly at her, Glorfindel sheathed his sword and gestured for her to do the same. "Perhaps a celebration is in order?"

Tucking her blades away in their sheath, Heather eyed the elf in front of her and flicked a loose piece of hair away from her face. "A celebration because I finally understand something I should have gotten right away?" A small grin flitted across his face at her statement as he turned and began walking down the path leading away from the clearing. "If you do not wish to go swimming, then perhaps you can stay here and continue training..." Trailing off, he left his statement hanging in the air.

Widening her eyes slightly, Heather stumbled a bit in her rush to catch up with him and fall into step beside the elf. "You mean going to your spot? With the waterfall?"

"I believe you thought I was... Crazy to enjoy such an activity the first time you saw it." Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, looking down at Heather's sheepish expression as she fiddled with a strand of her hair. "Well... Ah, it's not all that bad." Shrugging lightly, she brushed aside a branch and stepped out onto the main path leading down into the city. Smiling wider, Glorfindel rested a hand on her shoulder and pushed her in the direction of her home. "Gather some supplies and meet me by the forge."

Rolling her eyes wryly, Heather shifted the strap for her blades into a more comfortable position before picking up the pace and jogging down the path and into her home. It had taken him a while to get the point across, but her Ada had Glorfindel to thank for her wearing shoes regularly now.

The one thing that stuck her on these particular pair were they were boots, not slippers like her family had left around for her in the beginning. Lightweight, kept her feet dry and supple, bending with her feet as she walked. Nodding at a couple elves as she passed them by, Heather ducked into her room and moved towards her wardrobe to rifle through it quickly.

She wasn't at it very long before the door to her room was opened again, followed by the familiar voice of her sister, Arwen. "Heather, Ada wishes to see you."

Straightening up, Heather eyed the older Elleth with a small frown. The tone of her voice suggested it was something important. But other than him reprimanding her for not keeping up with her lessons in Elvish writing, he hardly ever had anything important to say. She was far too busy with training to worry about anything else really. "What is it?"

"He wishes to tell you himself." Arwen offered her a gentle smile and waved a hand at the door beside her. "I will accompany you."

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she studied the elf critically before heaving a small sigh and dropping the bag she grabbed from her wardrobe on her bed. "You want to make sure I don't sneak off."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Arwen's eyes sparkled with good humor as Heather slumped over to where she stood and started walking down the hallway with a grumble. "You have no idea what it is?" She finally asked, looking over at her sister as she fell into step beside her.

Arwen stared at her from the corner of her eyes for a moment then looked forward again. "It was Ada's wish to tell you." She said simply, leaving Heather with more than one question and a niggling feeling of worry beginning to grow at the back of her mind. "Right..." Chewing on her lower lip, Heather caught sight of Glorfindel standing outside of her Ada's study door, a similar frown on his face once he caught sight of her.

"You got roped into this too, right?" She asked once they came to a stop in front of him, earning a light smile and tip of his head. "Your brothers found me."

"Let me guess, Ada wanted to tell you himself?"

"Of course." He frowned slightly at her nervous expression and glanced at Arwen, silently communicating with the elleth before she nodded and slipped into the study to give them privacy.

"Heather, calm. I am sure it is nothing to worry over." He murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder as Heather shot a quick look at the door they stood beside then back up to his face. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"There is no reason to be negative." He chuckled, ruffling her hair lightly and earning a swat to the arm for it. "Be calm, it cannot be so bad you chew your lip off." Glorfindel added, raising an eyebrow at her already-red lower lip and grinning when she shot him a narrow-eyed look.

Sucking in a deep breath, Heather let it out slowly then nodded to her mentor and friend. "Alright, I'm ready now."

Offering nothing more than an easy smile, he opened the door for them both and waved her in ahead of him.

Stepping into the room, they walked up to stand across the table Elrond sat at, watching as he finished reading over some letter he must have gotten recently then set it aside to look up at them with his usual half smile. "Heather, I hear your training is going well."

"Um..." Shifting slightly on her feet, she glanced over at Glorfindel with a baffled expression. "Yes, I finally managed to complete a set today that had given me trouble for the past few months."

At this, Elrond's smile grew as he stood up and moved around the table to stand in front of them with an appraising eye. "I trust Glorfindel has become an acceptable teacher?"

"... Yes? No one else can handle my bad temper, so I suppose I couldn't do any better." Heather frowned slightly at the direction of the conversation. Nothing like she was expecting really to be honest.

Looking between the two of them, Elrond stood silently a moment then turned to pick the letter he had been reading off of the desk and offered it to Glorfindel. Taking the letter, he frowned slightly and looked it over for a moment then back up at Elrond with an unfamiliar expression on his face. Almost on the verge of anger, but not quite there.

"Is this true?"

"By his own words."

Frowning, Heather reached out and took the letter from Glorfindel, slowly scanning over the words before it finally made sense. Eyes widening slightly, she looked up at Elrond with an open mouth. "What the... When did this happen?"

Raising an eyebrow at her reaction, Elrond held out hand for Heather to place the letter into it. "You were not made aware of this?"

"No, don't you think I would have said something?" Frowning slightly, she began to pace back and forth in front of him, her eyes locked on the floor as she went over the words in the letter yet again in her mind.

 _Lord Elrond,_

 _I write you to ask the favor of staying in Imladris for the upcoming month of Narie (June) as I have finally gathered the courage to ask you thus:_

 _The Lady Heather's right to betrothal._

 _I wish to come and explore the home of Amin Me'a (my light), before returning to the halls of Greenwood and concluding the ceremony._

 _I will await your letter in return._

 _Humbly,_

 _I'yeste_

When the hell did they ever talk about it other than the few times he brought it up while she was in Greenwood? Not once did he ask or say anything in the few letters he had sent over the past months, nothing to ever even hint at it!

"Heather, if this is not true, then he will have no need to come here." Glorfindel tried to calm her down, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her rapid pacing back and forth. "If? It isn't true, I never agreed to any of this... He's my friend, Glorfindel, I didn't know he still wanted this."

"Still?" Elrond frowned slightly, earning a tired look from his daughter as she slumped slightly where she stood. "He asked me when I stayed in Greenwood, but I had said no. I didn't realize he still wanted it."

"I see." He turned away and placed the letter back down with a thoughtful look on his face. "I will ensure he understands this in my reply."

"Ada, I don't want to loose a good friend over something like this." Heather frowned, looking up at her father when he turned to look at her with his usual, understanding smile in place. "That choice is up to him, Heather. We can only hold hope he will stay that way after."

"Right..." Chewing on her lower lip, she folded her arms across her chest as he returned to his seat behind the table. "Is that all..?"

Looking up at them, Elrond held back a smile at the similar expectant expressions on both of their faces and nodded his head. "Of course, you may return to your training."

"Right." Heather coughed, grabbed Glorfindel by the arm and dragging him from the room before he could correct her father on what they were doing. "Come on, let's get out of here." Shooting the golden-haired elf a look, she sped back down the hall towards her room to pick up the satchel she had left there and made her way down into the kitchens to gather some food.

It wasn't long before the two of them were deep in the woods surrounding their home and heading to a familiar place to the both of them. "I can't believe he thought things were still... I mean, I never said anything and neither did he." Heather huffed, pushing a branch out of the way as she walked along beside Glorfindel.

"Perhaps it was more a wish than reality with him." He commented idly, stepping nimbly over a fallen branch and turning to face her as she climbed over it herself. "He desired it enough to make it seem real."

"I suppose so..." Trailing off, Heather dug around in her bag a moment and produced two apples. Offering one to her companion, she bit into the other thoughtfully. "But you'd think he'd say something about wanting to come to Imladris for a visit if that was what he was planning."

"Perhaps he wanted it to be a surprise?" He tried, earning an unamused look from Heather. Raising his hands up defensively, he smiled slightly. "Merely speculation."

"Either way... It's just... Unnerving to have a guy decide you're going to... To marry him without even asking." Biting into her apple again, she let out a sigh through her nose, staring blankly in front of them as they walked along the game trail leading to the waterfall.

"You would rather he ask beforehand?" Glorfindel asked curiously, making her shoot him an incredulous expression. "Of course! I don't like to be surprised at all. Asking me first is a definite way to go about something like that." Looking down at the apple, she frowned and tossed it away half-eaten. "I don't want a relationship right now anyway. I enjoy training and doing what I want. I don't have time to play dress up and... Giggle when he tells bad jokes."

"You laugh when I tell bad jokes." Glorfindel grinned, making her swat at him with a weak smile. "That's different, I actually like your bad jokes."

"Do you? I'll have to remember this next time we train." He chuckled this time, ducking away from her swinging fist and jogging ahead to break through the tree line and into the clearing.

Rolling her eyes, Heather picked up the pace and joined him in the sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead and felt a relaxed smile spread across her face at the familiar sight before her. "This is much better." She murmured, already taking her bow and arrows off, followed by her blades then moved over to the cliff face to begin climbing up.

"Come on, Old Man. I'm going to beat you to the top today!"

A loud laugh followed her comment before Glorfindel began his ascent right behind the smaller elf. It didn't take her too long to enjoy the activity he introduced her to all those months ago, and now she was determined to beat him to the top of the cliff whenever they climbed, despite his many years of practice.

He wasn't too proud to admit she came very close on several occasions. Looking up, he chuckled as she struggled to climb the rock as quickly as she could while not falling off of it at the same time. With a shake of his head, he steadily made his way up until he passed her and settled down to sit on the edge of the cliff and looked down at her frustrated expression.

"If you truly wished to beat me, you would watch where I place my hands when I climb." He offered down to her as she heaved an irritated sigh and hoisted herself up onto the cliff beside him and flopped on her back, legs dangling over the edge. "You've had years to practice! I've only been climbing for a few months."

"I believe one of your sayings for this is 'Practice makes one Perfect'." Chuckling lightly, he watched her wave an uninterested hand in his direction before standing up and stretching his arms over his head. "Do you plan on laying there in defeat all day, or will you join me in swimming at all?"

"Keep that up and I might drown you." She muttered, making him laugh again as he prepared to dive off the edge. "True words spoken by one that has been defeated." With that said, he sprang forward over the edge and fell to the sparkling water below. Scrambling to her feet, Heather glared down at him as he popped back above the water and floated along on his back.

"I'll show you defeat." She muttered under her breath before taking a few steps back away from the edge and leaning forward a moment, her legs tensed up just before springing forward and jumping over the edge, her legs and arms going back in a practiced swan dive then stretching forward to slice through the water just before impact.

Spinning around under the cool liquid, she slowed down and swam back to the surface, a sly grin on her face as she turned to face Glorfindel's surprised expression. "That, my friend, is how you defeat someone."

He looked up at the top of the cliff then back to her smug expression and shook his head. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Good, otherwise I'd get boring after a while." Grinning, Heather splashed him in the face and made her way back out of the water, ready to climb back up and try again already. "Come on then, let's see if you can do it... Winner."

With narrow eyes, Glorfindel swam to the edge and climbed out himself, already accepting her challenge as they began their ascent up the cliff once again, both of them determined to show the other one up. "We will see, Heather." He grunted, easily passing her up on the rock and looked down at her with a smirk of his own. "I believe I may even do better than you."

"You wish." She growled back up at him, climbing after the elf faster as he made his way back to the top and looked over the edge at her triumphantly. "I know."

* * *

Flopping down on the grass, Heather let out a long, loud breath of pure happiness, eyes sparkling in good humor under the growing starlight overhead. Turning to face Glorfindel as he fell to the ground beside her, she reached over and flicked him on the forehead playfully.

"I'll beat you next time."

"If you say so." He grinned, turning his head to face her as well and throwing a bit of sand at her in retaliation. "I believe it will take quite a few years before that will ever happen."

"So, when you're old and grey?" Heather smirked, earning a forehead flick this time for her cheek. Rubbing at the sore spot, she stuck her tongue out at him and looked back up at the sky, silently counting the stars she could see between the tree branches overhead. "I don't think Ada will be glad to know I'm out this late."

"I do not think he will be too angry." Glorfindel shrugged slightly, looking up at the nighttime sky as well, his blue eyes sparkling slightly at some joke she didn't get. "Perhaps it would be best to return?"

"Not right now." Heather sighed, stretching her arms out over her head and listening to her joints pop with satisfaction. "I'm too comfortable at the moment."

Falling silent, the two of them simply lay there peacefully, staring up at the stars in contemplation before Glorfindel broke it with a question. "If he had asked you beforehand, would you have accepted?"

Blinking, Heather furrowed her brows and looked over at him again curiously. "No, I said he was a friend. Why?"

He remained silent for a moment then closed his eyes, arms folding behind his head as he settled back in the sand. "No reason. I merely wished to know."

Twisting her lips to the side slightly, Heather studied his profile a moment then folded her own arms behind her head to relax against herself. "If you say so."

A low hum of agreement met her ears as they fell back into silence again, simply allowing the nighttime sounds of the woods around them wash over as they relaxed on the sand beside the small pond. It wasn't too much longer that Glorfindel turned to face her again, mouth open to ask another question weighing on his mind only to realize she had fallen fast asleep.

Blinking slightly in surprise, he held back the urge to poke her just to be sure the elleth had indeed passed out and sighed with a wry smile on his lips. She was the only Elf he knew of that slept as much as she did. Her father had mentioned at one point the unusual happenings behind her appearance in Imladris, and suspected her preference for sleep being due to so many years of her humanity in the other world.

He believed that after living here with them for several more years, her need for it will slowly diminish until she slept normally like they do. But until then, they had become accustomed to her patterns. Shaking his head, he sat up and looked down at her peaceful expression, his sharp eyesight picking up on one of the few freckles on her face near the corner of her right eye even in the faint starlight.

Hesitating just for a moment, he reached out and brushed a hand across her cheek, his knuckles almost whispering against her skin before he pulled away and turned to face the water in front of him with a slight frown marring his usual relaxed expression.

It was hard to admit it truly, how much his care for her had grown over the months they had spent together. He could understand why I'yeste called her ' _Amin Me'a_ ' (my light), however, it did not ease his mind over the fact he had tried to claim a betrothal from her.

For a moment after reading the letter, he had felt a spike of panic, the thought of her already being with another making him re-think over everything they had done during their time together.

Looking sideways down at her sleeping form again, Glorfindel passed a hand over his head in thought then slowly got to his feet. Her father knew of his interest, having already spoken to him on occasion about it. However, neither of them knew of her thoughts on betrothal until now.

He could accept that she didn't want an relationship of any kind as of right now. He will accept it and wait. It was all he could do at the moment, until he was sure she would be ready.

Gathering their things together, he turned and knelt on the sand beside Heather, a slight grin tugging at his lips as he reached out to shake her shoulder lightly. "Wake, Heather." When he received no response, he let out a light sigh and shook her shoulder harder. "Heather, awake."

Ducking his head and easily dodging her swinging arm, he looked down at her bleary expression with amusement. "I believe it is time to return."

Blinking slowly up at him, Heather frowned and pointed a finger at his nose, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Your hair is annoyingly bright even at night."

Blinking back down at her a moment, Glorfindel tossed his head back and laughed loudly as she grumbled to herself and sat up, a hand already combing through her hair to rid it of the sand sticking to it. "Shut up, Old Man, you're loud."

"If my hair is so bright, perhaps there is no need of a torch when in a cave too dark for even our eyes to see in." He chuckled, handing her the satchel she brought with along with her weapons as she got to her feet slowly.

Groaning at his lame joke, Heather rolled her eyes and slipped her bow over her shoulder after attaching everything else to her person. "Are we going or not?"

"Of course, My Lady. I shall lead the way as to lend the brightness of my hair to shed the darkness on the path." Glorfindel swept a hand out in a low bow, earning a swat to the back of his head as she stumbled past him, still half asleep. "You're _**lame**_ and Old, Glorfindel. It's a wonder I even train with you."

Chuckling lightly, he fell into step beside her, a wide smile stretching his face before falling away into a slight frown. "What does... _**Lame**_ , mean?"

* * *

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	31. Chapter 29

**29**

 **Hello! And happy new year to all of you, my faithful readers.**

 **A little extra-special chapter for you in this new year, hopefully it will bring some much needed love in my direction as the last few days have been a bit rough for me. I won't go into detail, but I could use some friendly words from people I know enjoy my work.**

 **Besides that, I wanted to add a quick side-note here and say that Originally I had planned on this being a 'special' chapter that wasn't really attached to the main story. Titled 'Heather's Journal', it would have just been a series of journal entries written by Heather detailing her thoughts about several of the things that have happened throughout the story so far. But I decided you all waited so patiently for me to post this and even seemed excited at the prospect of 'developments', I didn't have the heart to make you wait any longer.**

 **However! I am one person away from my 400'th follower mark, if I do reach that after posting this, I will write it up and add it in if you all want me to! Let me know!**

 **Now then, I think that's it, other than I hope your holidays and things were just as wonderful as I hope they were.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

 **~*~PLEASE REVIEW~*~**

* * *

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months and then onto years. Time passed unnoticed in the valley of Imladris, Heather easily forgetting about her human needs that had been paramount before arriving in this world. Forgetting about her past, a little at a time. At the moment, she should be nearing thirty years of age, yet still looked the same age as the day she arrived.

Training each morning, relaxing in the afternoons and evenings, with Glorfindel more often than not. She preferred his company over anyone else she had gotten to know in their quiet city.

Now and again, she would remember something, a face, a name even the faint scent of foods she had been fond of before, and everything would rush back at once. The whole idea of her not really belonging striking her quite suddenly before passing almost as quick as it came.

Speaking with Gandalf and her father about this, they reasoned her years living with them and her outlook changing due to the immortality all elves shared could be why she seemed to forget her past for weeks, even months at a time.

Honestly, it scared her beyond words.

Peering down at the journal in her hands, Heather held back the tears threatening her once again as she studied her old, sloppy handwriting. Basic observations during her journey through Ireland before her arrival. A few sketches, rough, but recognizable as trees and flat grassland covering quite a few pages as well.

She wrote periodically about her best friend, Jinx, from time to time. Mostly just mentioning she had texted or called her. Both words loosing meaning for a moment or two before she remembered what a phone was again. At the moment, the tears weren't for a lost life, but for the words sitting in front of her that she had forgotten all about.

It was a passage written about her brother, Matthew. The anniversary of the day she had received a call from his commanding officer telling her he had been taken as a prisoner of war and his resulting death shortly after.

According to the date in her journal, it was the same day, a few years later. She had spent five years in Imladris already and had forgotten all about him. Searching her memories, Heather frowned, trying to put a face to the name scribbled down in front of her and couldn't. The vague image of a man with messy, brown hair and blue eyes was all she could recall. Blue eyes that matched her own, but nothing else. No age, no definitive features at all.

Staring down at the page, she blinked, sending a stray tear down onto the paper and smudging the ink. He had died, according to what she wrote, ten years prior, not even a body to bury.

Settling the book on her legs, Heather rubbed at her eyes with frustration, attempting to keep herself from breaking down completely. It was hard, hard to realize she was forgetting everything about herself from the past, her family, her friends, the one person in the world that had been there for her since the beginning. And she couldn't even remember anything about the man other than he was her brother, he had died and that he had blue eyes.

All she had to remember, was written down in front of her, and even that wasn't a fond memory she craved. It was just a remembrance of him dying, nothing more than that.

A soft knock on her door made Heather look up at it warily. Since rediscovering her old journal that morning, she didn't plan on speaking with anyone that day. Just stay in her room and read over everything she had written so long ago and hopefully recall something from her past she seemed to have forgotten over the years.

Another knock came, this time with the gentle voice of the one person she planned on avoiding like the plague that day. The last thing she wanted was for Glorfindel to know just how much it upset her to forget her past. He knew, of course, she was sad, but she made damn well sure he didn't realize how much.

"Heather. Please open the door."

Looking down at her journal, she debated on staying silent and hoping he didn't know she was in the room then decided against it. She wouldn't put it past him to go around and climb up to the balcony outside just to check.

Clearing her throat of tears, she set her journal aside and rubbed at her face again, hoping he would think she was just tired and moved to open the door, peering out from the crack at him. "I'm not feeling up to training today."

Familiar blue eyes looked down at her, his silence telling her he knew, somehow despite everything she did to wipe the depression from her face, he knew. Feeling her face crumple, she opened the door wider and slid down to her knees with a soft sob, one of her hands covering her mouth as she closed her eyes.

Without a word, he knelt down in front of her and wrapped Heather's shaking form in his warm arms, rubbing her back gently in a way he had seen her do many times when comforting another. He didn't say anything, simply let the smaller elf cling to him and cry softly into his shirt.

Pulling away, Heather wiped at her eyes and looked up at him with a sad, little smile tugging at her lips, tears still dripping down her cheeks as he stared back at her. "Why did you come here? We weren't going to train until later..."

His eyes flicked back and forth between hers a moment, then stood up, carefully pulling Heather along with him into her room and shut the door. "You seemed upset recently. I thought to come and see how you were fairing." He murmured softly, still studying her face as she rubbed at it and turned away to face her bed.

"I found my old journal." She murmured by way of explanation, waving a hand towards it and frowning. "I didn't realize it would be so upsetting." Not even looking towards the book, she moved towards her desk and picked up the comb sitting there, carefully pulling it through her mussed hair and watching through the mirror as Glorfindel moved towards the bed and picked up her journal thoughtfully.

"Your language... It looks so much like Common, yet I recognize none of these words." He commented idly, flipping through the pages and looking up at her as she turned to face him with a little, wry smile. "You aren't the first one to say that." Heather shrugged one of her shoulders and began braiding her hair over her shoulder. "Aragorn said the same when I showed him how I wrote."

"Yet, you take to elvish just as easily." He smiled back, poking fun at the fact her Elvish writing was so much messier than what was in the journal he held. Sticking her tongue out at him, Heather sniffed back the last few tears and turned around to face the mirror again, studying her hair a moment then tying it off after seeing it was all securely pulled into her braid.

She wasn't laughing by any means, but that elf always knew just how to pull her away from the crushing depression that threatened whenever she realized she forgot. Watching him move behind her, she smiled at his reflection lightly when he came to a stop, a nervous twitching pulling at his lips.

"Don't tell me, someone wants to speak with me or you broke something of mine." Heather teased lightly, trying to get the elf to say whatever it was on his mind before he had a full-on stroke with how much his face was twitching.

Blue eyes darting up to meet hers, he fumbled a bit and offered a nervous smile. "I have a gift."

"A gift?" Raising an eyebrow, she turned to face him with an amused look on her face. "And said gift would be..."

"Ah..." He fiddled with a small package she didn't notice before and thrust it at her suddenly, nearly dropping it on the floor when she failed to grab it right away. "Please, read what I wrote first, then make your decision." He blurted out quickly then backed away. "I'll know when I see you next." With that, he spun around and nearly ran from the room, leaving Heather completely bewildered at how he was acting.

Never in her life had she ever seen him so nervous, almost frightened even. Furrowing her brow, she looked down at the neatly wrapped box, a small piece of paper tucked under the string keeping it together. Glancing at her open door, Heather sat down on the stool and settled the box on her lap before plucking the paper from it's spot and opening it curiously only to sigh out loud at the neat, elvish script on it.

"I really need to teach him how to write phonically." She muttered under her breath and slowly ran a finger under each word, translating it carefully in her mind the way Ada had urged her to do after her last lesson.

 _I am not an Elf of words, forgive me for this, as I have many things to say and no way to speak them to you._

 _You are fond of reading and writing, and so I would hope this is appreciated just the same._

 _Consider me a coward for not speaking if you will, but I fear what I have to tell you will not be met with the response I desire._

 _Heather, Training with you, speaking and understanding you over the years has given me hope in this world despite the shadow of darkness slowly spreading across these lands. The days we spend together, either locked in combat or simply relaxing under the sun are far more important than I lead you to believe._

 _I understand your view on courtship, and I will accept it._

 _But I will not go without telling you either._

 _Within this package is a gift, one meant for the Elleth I desire to spend my life with. And I hope it will be you that wears it._

 _If this is true, please, put it on and come to where we spend our days relaxing._

 _If it is not... Then I will know when you fail to come._

 _I will wait. However long it will take._

 _Glorfindel_

Mouth open in shock, Heather scanned the words slowly once more, making sure what she read was indeed what she thought. She set the paper aside and stared at the box sitting innocently on her lap. All this time, she had no idea that was how he felt.

She couldn't very well say she didn't feel the same way, but she did try with every bit of willpower she had not to let it grow beyond the fondness it began as... To simply enjoy his company and friendship instead.

But now, reading this... Reaching out with a shaking hand, she carefully untied the thread and pulled the paper aside to reveal a small, wooden box. Plain and waxed to a perfect shine, a small wooden hinge on the back made with such precision it must have taken days to perfect.

Biting her lower lip, she lifted the lid and blinked down at the necklace nestled on a soft bed of white cloth. A simple light blue stone glimmered slightly in the light, nestled in a delicate silver casing that did nothing but enhance it's appearance.

It was beautiful, if not vaguely familiar, her lips turning down thoughtfully before she remembered why.

It was the same stone she had found months back while they spent the day relaxing in his clearing by the water. The world she came from, it was called Sea Glass, but considering it was from a pond, she had a hard time figuring out what to call it, let alone how it even formed to begin with.

This wasn't just a gift for the Elleth he hoped to spend his life with, this was a gift for her alone. No one else would understand the meaning behind the cheap piece of glass shining in it's silver setting. To them, it would be a cheap piece of jewelry, if not pretty.

Not only did he decide on her, he wanted her to know she was the only one he thought of while making it.

"Oh, Glorfindel... Why?"

* * *

Picking up another smooth stone from the sand, Glorfindel aimed and tossed it out across the water, watching it skip across before finally sinking after three. Heather was so much better than him at it, of course, she was the one that taught him. Looking up at the sky once again, he held back a sigh at the pink streaks of light beginning to grow in it. Sunset, and she still didn't show.

He always suspected, no matter how much he hoped, that she may not accept his gift for what it was. Of course he knew after this, their friendship may be damaged, shadowed with faint hurt and awkward conversations stepping around anything that might even resemble such a topic.

Dropping his eyes down, he stared at the water a bit sullenly. But he had hoped, of course he had, who wouldn't? They spent so many days together, just them, talking, enjoying one another's company and laughing. Was it too much for him to hope she felt the same?

Apparently so. With a soft sigh slipping past his lips, he turned and began the walk back. He would have to tell her father she didn't accept it. If he didn't, then the celebration that had been planned in case she had would be thrown without warning. He repressed a grimace at the reaction that would get from her if that happened.

Kicking at a stone on the path, he slowly made his way back into the city, passing by several buildings before catching sight of a pair of boots ahead of him.

Looking up slowly, he blinked in surprise at Heather's sheepish expression. "Um... Hi."

Closing his mouth quickly, Glorfindel offered her a weak smile and ran a hand through his hair nervously, eyes flicking from her face and off to the side. "Hello."

A few moments of silence was broken by Heather's light snort. "What is this? An awkward meeting between mutual friends of someone else?" She stepped closer to him and tipped her head a bit to the side so she could look at his face with a faintly amused smile.

Swallowing back a nervous laugh, Glorfindel smiled back down at her and studied her open expression curiously. A faint gleam of light caught his attention when the sun flickered between the trees. Feeling his breath catch, he looked down at the necklace resting comfortably around her neck.

Feeling her face heat up slightly, Heather reached up and fiddled with it lightly, feet shuffling side to side before she dropped her hands to her sides suddenly. "I had no idea you felt like that about me." She blurted out quickly, her blush only growing when he shot her an incredulous look.

"I had believed it was obvious. Everyone seemed to know." He muttered, a bit frustrated at how he failed to hide how he felt better. Thankfully she was a tad blind when it came to things like this, otherwise things may have gone differently.

"I didn't really notice." Heather muttered, fiddling with the necklace again and letting out a low sigh. "I haven't had a relationship in so long, I guess I just missed the signs."

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow at her, earning an unamused look from Heather when she spotted it. "Shut up."

"I said nothing." He chuckled, reaching out and brushing a hand a bit hesitantly against her cheek. "Your father will be pleased, needless to say." He added as an afterthought, making Heather laugh lightly and tip her head against his hand slightly as she grinned. "I suppose everything he said a long time ago makes sense now." Seeing his confused expression, Heather sent him a smile and stepped away, taking his hand a bit shyly to start walking in a random direction along the path. "Remember when I said they were speaking about us during dinner all that time ago? I was upset because they refused to tell me what it was."

After a moment, his expression cleared and he laughed, twining his fingers with hers as he fell into step beside her. "I remember, you took it out on that poor apple." Glancing over at her, he grinned at the sheepish expression on her face. "Well, it asked for it." Heather grumbled, turning along the path into the gardens and letting go of his hand so she could kneel down and slip her boots off and walk onto the grass barefoot.

"Of course it did." He chuckled, following after her and watching as she stopped and crouched down to run her fingers through a patch of heather with a fond smile. All his earlier worries and stress melted away and leaving him relaxed once more. Heather looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "How long?"

Moving towards one of the nearby trees, he settled down on the grass and leaned back against the trunk, looking off across the garden in thought. "I am not sure exactly when I realized." He finally admitted, looking back over at her as she moved to settle down next to him, a slight tilt to her head as she looked up at him curiously. "I simply noticed one day that I cared more than I would for a friend."

Heather snorted lightly through her nose and leaned against the tree herself, eyes closing as she settled back. "I suppose that's one of the many things we have in common then. I honestly didn't even know how much until I read your letter." Eyes opening, she punched him in the arm with a slight growl. "Which by the way, I will call you a coward for not saying all of that to my face."

Pulling away from her, he rubbed at the sore spot and pouted. "I didn't want to see you deny me."

"Well obviously I didn't."

"You still may have."

Heaving a sigh, Heather leaned back again and rubbed at her face with both hands. "We're both idiots then."

"Agreed." Glorfindel chuckled, making her grin up at him and reached over to pat her hands lightly when they dropped to her lap. "Come, I imagine your Ada and siblings are waiting to know."

"You told them you were going to ask me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow slightly when he gave her a sheepish smile. "Of course you did." She rolled her eyes and stood up, brushing the grass from her leggings and holding a hand out to him with a groan. "Let's go then, best get it over with now."

Taking her hand, Glorfindel stood as well and began pulling her in the direction of her home, eager to announce their courtship and make it official in the eyes of her family. Already he could hear the congratulations and offers of their hope for happiness. Turning to look back at Heather with shining eyes, he grinned at her reluctant expression and stopped, turning to face her fully, one hand reaching up to cup her cheek.

"Do not tell me you regret accepting?" He challenged her in good humor, making Heather growl at him half-heartedly and lean her head against his hand. "No. But I don't like it when all the attention is on me."

"A small celebration then." He smiled wide, making her heave a light sigh and shake her head fondly. "You are impossible."

"Of course, I spent far too much time with you over the last few years." Chuckling, He turned and began walking once again at a more tame pace, letting her walk beside him this time instead of being drug behind. "Are you saying I'm a bad influence, Old man?"

"Of course." He grinned at her unimpressed expression and lead her into the halls of her home and towards Elrond's study where he knew the Ellon sat in wait for news of her decision. Stopping outside the door, he turned to her and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face fondly. "Come, it will not be so bad."

"If you say so." She sighed, reaching out to open the door and stepped inside, already under scrutiny from her Ada's sharp eyes before they landed on the necklace she wore and a wide smile spread across his face. Moving from behind the desk, he pulled her into a hug, murmuring softly in her ear when she wrapped her own arms around him in return. "It gladdens my heart to see you so happy."

"I am, Ada. Just don't tell him or his ego will expand beyond measure." She murmured back jokingly, earning a chuckle from the Ellon as he let her go and rested his hands on her shoulders to study her at a distance. "Your sister will be pleased to know all her planning for the celebration will not go to waste."

"Of course she already planned it, when is she ever not prepared for something like this?" Heather laughed and moved aside so Glorfindel can brace arms with Elrond in a warm greeting. "I trust she has been waiting all day?" He asked her father when they let go, a light laugh in his voice at the faintly exasperated look Elrond sent their way.

"She has asked me on several occasions throughout the day if you had accepted." He directed at Heather, making the Elleth grin and glance over at Glorfindel with amusement. "I spent a lot of today simply thinking before finally deciding." She admitted with a light shrug, one hand reaching up to fiddle with the necklace again.

Glancing between the newly courting couple, Elrond allowed a light smile to grace his features for a moment before moving to settle behind his desk, already going over the many things that still needed doing for the upcoming celebration. "You had best tell her after leaving here, if anyone else speaks of it before you do, she may be upset." He sent them a pointed stare, making the both of them shift nervously.

Arwen was a gentle and kind Elleth, however if she felt slighted by someone she trusted... It was a frightening thing to watch. Sharing a quick look, they both nodded and turned to leave quickly. Intent on finding her before someone else that may have spotted them earlier says something.

"Heather." Stopping at the door, she turned to look back at Elrond questioningly, his slight smile making her smile in return. "I am truly happy for you."

Dipping her head lightly at his comment, she sent a look over at Glorfindel where he stood next to the door, waiting for her. "I am too, Ada." Sending another smile at her father, she turned and followed Glorfindel out the door in search of her sister.

Once the door shut, Elrond leaned back in his seat, turning to look out the open windows of the room peacefully. Granted, she had only been his daughter for a short time, he still couldn't help but feel pride at how quickly she grew into the Elleth she was today. Training to become one of the best warriors, her archery knew now match and now... He turned to look at his desk at the many scrolls stacked on it. She had found her matching half, he had known nearly right away when he had spotted them training from afar. It was easy to see how well they worked together, not only in training, but he had Glorfindel to thank for her finally beginning to truly meet and speak with the other elves in the city. It had been him that made Heather begin befriending more and more of the elves there. It had been Glorfindel that had taken her from her room and away from her hiding places and introduced her to the company others.

It had been him that had gotten her to smile after her disastrous visit in Greenwood.

No, it didn't take Elrond long to realize that things may develop between the two of them. Looking back out the window, he spied the two walking across the courtyard towards Arwen who stood beside the fountain. And for one of the few times, he was glad he was right.

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	32. Chapter 30 IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE

**30**

 **~~~~~~~~~PLEASE READ THIS, IT'S IMPORTANT!~~~~~~~~**

 **First let me just say something to all of you.**

 **Near the beginning of last year, I debated on stopping this fanfic, not because of lack of viewers, or reviews. But because I have this nasty problem of re-reading past chapters and finding them lacking in all sense of creativity. To me, I've read it, It's not new because I thought carefully over each new problem our favorite human-turned-elf comes across. It's been thought over so many times, that to me, it isn't interesting.**

 **So I read what I've written so far, and I can't help but think, 'this is awful, how on earth did I ever get so many reviews/followers/likes?'**

 **And so, in an effort to understand, I go and I start reading my reviews, oldest to newest, watching as those that consistently leave me their thoughts on the chapter as each new one comes out change. Some that started off with just 'Wow, great chapter!' or 'I can't wait for the next update!' morphed into 'I love such and such, and I really feel how Heather ect, do because of -insert drama here-.' and they just grew.**

 **I constantly read my favorite reviews (Yes, I have favorites, and no I'm not telling whos or what ones.) and It makes me realize. 'Hey... Maybe I'm not so bad, maybe... Just maybe, I can keep this up.'**

 **And so I move on, I write a new chapter, attempting to keep to the over 3k words per new update because I know you all like longer chapters. I keep going, all because of those reviews I get in my e-mail. All because of a few sentences you all send me per update because of how much you genuinely like this story.**

 **I am ashamed to admit it, I had another falling at the beginning of the year. It's a bad time for me, Christmas and new year, due to so much stress and my step-father (A man I respected more than a blood father) died last year on new years eve.**

 **It just makes my depression dip down to the farthest it can go, and that depression makes me think 'I'm horrible, why do I keep trying?'**

 **So, I read your reviews time and time and time again just because each and every time I read them, it makes me want to keep going. This story isn't just for fun now, it's not just me trying to share something I think you all enjoy.**

 **It's a reminder, a reminder that no matter how much I think I can't do something, or even achieve a single thing- I have hundreds of people out there reminding me that yes, yes I can.**

 **I just wanted to share that with you all, so please, even if you don't think anything you have to say would contribute much to my view of this story, trust me when I say it does. Each and every person that has left me at least one review makes a difference.**

 **Thank you all so much for being there for me in my darker moments, and thank you all for being so damn patient with me when it came to long absences between chapters.**

 **You mean the world to me and this chapter is for you all.**

 **Thank you.**

 **~TL**

 **\- I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 _ **English**_

 _Elvish_

 **Twins**

 **~*~PLEASE REVIEW~*~**

* * *

Soft laughter and music echoed around the large open-air pavilion filled to the brim with varying elves all gathered for one thing. Heather's and Glorfindel's start of courtship.

Apparently, despite the many years she has lived there now, there were certain things required by etiquette that they go through before said courtship was official.

One: The one wishing to instigate courtship must craft a gift by hand and offer it for inspection by the leader of the village, town ect. Check.

Two: The gift must be inspected for flaws, perfection is key when making such an important gift. Check

Three: After the first three requirements are met, said gift must be offered to the one intended for courtship. In any way the first party sees fit. Check, despite how cowardly it was done.

Four: After said gift is accepted (IF it is), the couple must go to the head of family and announce said courtship. Check, even if Heather had no idea that's what they were doing at the time.

Five: Finally, the first party must ask the father or mother of the second party (If neither were able to be reached, then the next head of her family) for permission. Check apparently because Glorfindel disappeared, leaving Heather to deal with an overexcited Arwen alone... The jerk.

Heather shook her head and bit back a light laugh at everything the poor man had to go through just to get her to say yes. Looking over next to her, she grinned wryly at Glorfindel's awkward expression as he accepted another offered congratulations from another Elf. He wasn't any more built for celebrations like this than she was, they preferred to be out in nature honestly.

Reaching over, she picked up her wineglass and took a drink, a finger tapping idly against the side as she fell deeper into her thoughts. Honestly, despite the threat of giant spiders, she could have lived happily in the forests where _he_ lived. A small frown marred her otherwise happy expression.

A hand reaching over to take the glass away drew her from her thoughts, making Heather shoot Glorfindel a sharp look before she reluctantly allowed him to. "And why exactly are you taking my wine away?"

"You look ready to throw a dagger at the next person to come up with their congratulations, _Melisse_." (Love- Female) He teased lightly, taking a sip from the glass himself before setting it down and turning to face her completely, a curious look on his face. "What is bothering you so much you feel the need to keep the well-wishers away with that expression?"

Twisting her lips to the side, Heather rested her elbow on the table and settled her chin on the palm of her hand as she eyed the elf next to her. "Nothing important, just some vague thoughts I really would rather forget completely." She sighed out, one shoulder lifting in a shrug and offered him a slight grin. "Though I do have to say, hearing you call me _Melisse_ for the first time is definitely something that cheers me up."

Hearing this, Glorfindel offered her a smile of his own, eyes sparkling with mischief like usual as he leaned closer to her so he could whisper. "Do you think anyone will notice if we were to disappear?"

Holding back a snicker, Heather quirked an eyebrow at him and leaned back a bit. "Why, how bold of you, Lord Glorfindel. I do say that was rather forward."

A faint flush dusted his cheeks at that as he widened his eyes to near comical size. "No! I didn't- I wouldn't-" He stumbled in a hurry to explain what he meant only to have Heather's laughter cut him off. Feeling his shock melt away, he sent her a bland look and flicked her forehead. "You're horrible."

"And yet, you want to court me." Heather stuck her tongue out at him and smiled when he did, their hands automatically sliding across the table to touch fingertips a moment before entwining in a familiar gesture. Leaning closer, Glorfindel rested his forehead against hers and breathed out a low sigh. "Yes, so it would seem."

Attempting to hold back her blush, Heather shut her eyes and shook her head lightly in amusement. "You're the one that's going to have to deal with me."

This time he chuckled and pulled back to look down at her flushed cheeks, his other hand reaching up to brush a strand of flyaway hair from her face. "I will do so gladly."

Feeling the urge to laugh bubble up in her throat, Heather shook her head and leaned away from him with an awkward smile. "You're a walking _**cliche**_." She chuckled, ignoring his confused expression and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Stop being a _**sap**_ and come dance with me."

"I've no idea what those words mean, but gladly, my lady." Standing up, he offered an exaggerated bow before offering her a hand. Grinning up at him, Heather studiously ignored the knowing smiles and gentle laughter following them as she accepted his invitation and followed the golden-haired ellon to the floor so he could lead her in a swaying dance.

"Once this is over, you and I are disappearing into the woods where we don't have to deal with these looks for a while." She muttered, looking up at his amused expression and letting out a sigh. "Absolutely." He agreed without hesitation, spinning Heather around lightly and chuckling when she scowled at the skirt of her dress when it wrapped around her legs.

"And I'm changing back into my comfortable clothes." She added, earning another laugh from him as he lead her in a slow dance much like a waltz she vaguely remembered from the other world.

"I was surprised you wore a dress to begin with." Glorfindel teased, making her hit her forehead against his chest with a whine. "Arwen wouldn't let me."

"Your sister is formidable when it comes to certain things." He agreed lightly, spinning her around again much to her annoyance. "Quit doing that, I don't feel like tripping over this thing." She groaned, one hand reaching down to straighten her dress again then slapping his chest lightly once it hung straight once more.

"You, trip? I doubt it is possible." Grinning, Glorfindel reached up and wrapped his hand around the one she left on his chest and leaned closer, making her face flush lightly. "Your grace knows no bounds. Why just the other day, you jumped from the cliff so beautifully, the resulting splash soaked the shore."

Narrowing her eyes, Heather forgot her embarrassment at his proximity and huffed through her nose. "You know full well I didn't jump, I tripped over one of those rocks sticking out at the top. It's a miracle I didn't hit my head on the way down!"

"Ah, but your tumble was wonderful to watch, the way your arms flapped at your sides, it was almost as if you were trying to fly." He grinned, making her roll her eyes and reluctantly twitch her lips up in a smile at him. "You're the horrible one now."

"Would you have me any other way?" With a boisterous laugh that drew the attention of every elf in attendance, he leaned in and closed the distance between them to brush his lips across hers gently, earning several cheers and a round of applause from the gathering. Pulling back, he offered her a mischievous smile when she failed to say anything.

"That, _Melisse_ , is why you accepted, is it not?" Straightening up from a dip she didn't even notice he had done, Heather stared up at him wide-eyed. That was...

That sneaky bastard, stealing their first kiss in front of a whole crowd of elves no less! Oh, she would definitely have to get him back for that little stunt... Later. Hiding her red face against his chest, she groaned in embarrassment much to his amusement. "You're awful."

His chuckle rumbled under her ear as he resumed dancing once more. "So you have stated, but does it make you hate me?"

Heaving a sigh, she shook her head and simply let him lead them around on the dance floor for a moment before replying. "No, I don't think I could ever hate you unfortunately."

"Unfortunately? You make it seem like you wish you could."

"Sometimes you make it seem like I should." She shot back, earning a light laugh from him once more as the song ended. Pulling away, she looked up at him as he bowed to her and turned to lead the way back to their seats. "You wound me, Heather. Why I've been nothing but kind to you." Grinning over his shoulder at her, he caught sight of the empty stare she sent him and bit back another laugh.

Settling back down in her seat, she picked up her wine glass he had previously stolen from her and took a drink. "If you say so." Snorting in a rather unladylike action, she looked over at him as he settled down beside her with that damnable smile on his face. "Just remember, once all of this is over. You and I will be back in that clearing training, without any witnesses."

It took a moment, but gradually a look of worry replaced his easy-going smile as she continued to stare at him giving no hint of expression. "You would not."

"Do you really doubt me?'

He eyed her a moment, then glanced out over the crowd of elves then back to her, nervously twitching his fingers on top of the table. "There is plenty of mud in that clearing if I remember right, Glorfindel." Heather continued, looking down at her glass in faux thoughtfulness. "It would be a shame... If you tripped into it."

Eyes popping open wide, he sat quietly staring at her as she ran a delicate finger around the rim of her glass then turned to offer him a cheerful smile. "But, I doubt that will ever happen, right?"

Reaching over, he slowly picked his own glass up and studied her over the rim a moment, then allowed a slow smile to grow. "You make a formidable opponent in a battle of wits."

Leaning over, she offered a slow smile of her own and held up her glass to him. "Would you have me any other way?"

Tapping his glass against hers, he chuckled lightly and shook his fair head. "No, _Melisse_. Never."

* * *

Ducking down behind the banister, Heather eyed the pair of elves walking along on the other side down below, waiting until they vanished around the corner and stood back up. Turning her head back and forth, she checked to make sure the coast was clear before vaulting over the railing and landing with a quiet thump and taking off for the cover of trees. All she had to do was make it to the shade and then she could disappear for the next few hours! Stretching her legs, she locked her eyes on the gently swaying leaves ahead of her, so close... Almost there-

Inches from reaching freedom, a heavy body tackled her and hoisted Heather up onto their shoulder in a matter of seconds. "Noo!" Wailing in frustration, she pounded her fists on Elrohir's back. "I'm late for training you _**maniacs**_!" Twisting around, she leveled his twin, Elladan, with a glare. "Let me go!"

"Ada said he wished to speak with you at breakfast. Which you avoided until now." The one holding her piped up, hand still clamped tight around her knees to keep her in place as she continued to wiggle without much success. "He did say it was important you two spoke." Elladan added, making her slump against his twin's shoulder and simply give up and allow him to carry her back into their home. "But I'm late, Glorfindel is going to make me go through sets twice as long now."

"Extra training is usually a good thing, _ai seler'_." (Little sister) Elladan grinned, dropping back to walk behind his brother so he could see her face. "You learn much faster that way."

"I'm using you two as target practice next time I take out my bow." She growled, making both of them chuckle before Elrohir set her down in front of their Ada's office, bowing low as they backed away from her with identical smirks. **"We would love to see you try, dear sister."** They teased in perfect unison and vanished behind the corner.

Resisting the urge to go after them, Heather took a deep breath and turned to face the door with slight trepidation. Earlier that morning while eating breakfast, her father had mentioned he wanted to speak with her about something important. He didn't give anything away with how he said it or with his expressions, but it still made her feel uneasy with the way he worded it specifically.

Chewing her lower lip, she reached out and hesitantly knocked on the wooden door before opening it a crack so she could peer around it and into the room where he sat behind his desk. "You wanted to talk?"

Looking up at her, Elrond offered one of his familiar smiles and waved her in. "Yes, come in Heather." Hesitating a second, she opened the door farther and stepped into the room to join him by the table, looking down at the scattered papers and scrolls on it curiously. "What is it?"

Picking up an opened letter, he scanned it's contents a moment before leveling his gaze on her thoughtfully. "Your sister, Arwen is planning on traveling to Lothlórien to visit her grandmother for the winter this year." He began, placing the letter down and studying Heather a moment before continuing. "She asked if I would ask you to accompany her."

Blinking in surprise, Heather scrunched her eyebrows together in slight confusion. It wasn't unusual for Arwen to travel to Lothlórien to spend the winter there. In fact, she was more surprised she didn't go last year really. What was a surprise was the fact that she wanted Heather to go with her this year.

She had only asked her once, a couple years after she first arrived and became a part of their family if she would go. But in light of the fact that she was still confused about everything at the time, she had declined.

Not to mention, she never really did hear all that much about her adopted grandmother. Other than she was beautiful and powerful in her own right, there wasn't much to go off of.

Reaching up, Heather tugged a loose strand of hair in thought, staring down at the desk in front of her. "Why? I mean... Not that I don't appreciate it, Ada. But why now?"

Elrond let out a low breath, almost a sigh as he studied her a moment then picked up the same letter he read earlier before holding it out for her to take. "It would seem your grandmother is curious about you after so many years of hearing tales from Arwen." He offered an apologetic smile when she sent him an exasperated look. "She wishes to meet you."

"So... I have to leave for the winter?" She asked with a slight frown on her face, eyes scanning the letter slowly then looking up at him with growing upset. "But- I have so many things to do. I have my training! And Glorfindel-"

"Will wait patiently for your return." He cut in gently, reaching out to place his hand over her clenched one. "I realize it is difficult to leave so soon after your courtship began, but if you do not leave now with your sister, then the snow will become too difficult to travel in." Taking the letter away, he moved to stand in front of her, both of his hands taking her shaking ones to gain Heather's full attention. Once he had it, Elrond studied her expression a moment and reached up to brush a hand through the loose hair framing her face.

"I wish it could wait, _amin hin_. (My child) However Arwen will be prepared to leave within a week. And I must insist you go with her." He offered a slight smile when her face fell, squeezing her hands lightly to get her attention again. "I hear the guards of Lothlórien are formidable and are eager to train those that show promise."

Blinking slightly, Heather felt a weak, unwilling smile twitch at her lips as she looked up at him. "Really?"

"Of course, they are all curious as to why I have kept you hidden away all these years." Elrond laughed softly and let her take her hands back and brush them through her hair with a soft sigh. "I am sure your skill with the bow will prove to them your skill."

"I suppose so." Twisting her head, Heather looked out the window in the direction of the trees where she knew Glorfindel was waiting on her, a small frown tugging at her lips. "However, telling Glorfindel I will be gone for several months will be difficult."

Elrond moved around his desk to settle back down in his chair, watching her a moment and let out a small sigh, gaining her attention. "Go then, it will be best to tell him quickly so you may enjoy the time you have left together." Waving one of his hands, he watched her lips twitch into a fleeting smile before turning and walking out of his office.

Once out of sight of her Ada, Heather took off sprinting down the hallways, skillfully dodging the elves walking along until she bound into the woods, swift feet carrying her up into the trees and leaping branch to branch until she came to the edge of her training clearing, eyes scanning the area until they fell on a familiar golden head.

Without a word, she quietly slipped out her blades, feeling their familiar weight as she crouched down on the branch, silently watching the elf below a moment then leaping down to strike.

With a swish of air, Glorfindel spun around and blocked her attack easily with his sword, his eyes glittering with good humor as she growled in frustration and jumped back to put distance between them. "You're late, _Melisse._ " (Love- Female)

"Ada wanted to talk." Heather hedged for the moment, side stepping around him in a circle as he turned to watch her with his usual smile in place. Spying an opening, she shifted her feet and darted in, one blade jabbing forward and the other rising up to shove against his own sword and lock it in place so she could make her attack.

His free hand wrapping around her wrist and shoving her away sent Heather skidding to the side. Following after, Glorfindel swiped from the side with his sword, making her raise one blade up to block, and the other rising farther to aim for his shoulder.

Quick as lightning, Glorfindel raised his knee and planted it in her stomach, shoving her away so he could escape her attack with a low grunt, his eyes narrowing slightly as he waited for her to catch her breath from the attack.

"What did he wish to speak of?" He asked conversationally once she straightened back up, one hand rubbing at the sore spot on her stomach, the other clutching her blade tight as she watched him closely. Reaching down for the blade she dropped, Heather settled back into her stance and stepped in time with him so they circled each other. "Apparently I'm expected to go to Lothlórien for the winter." She reluctantly admitted, watching as realization dawned and his sword tipped down in surprise.

Momentarily, she debated on taking advantage, but let it go with a grimace. She really wasn't in the mood for a sparring session right now anyway. All she wanted to do was curl up in her room and hope her father and sister forgot about her going.

Putting her blades back into their sheath, she let out a low sigh and flopped back on the grass, arms and legs spread out as she stared up at the sky. "I don't want to, but apparently my grandmother wants to meet me."

Staring down at Heather, Glorfindel put his sword away and moved to join her on the grass, choosing to sit down and lean back on his hands instead as he continued studying her thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is a good thing for you to go." He finally stated, making her turn her head to look up at him in confusion. "A break if you will, to spend time with other elves." He added for clarification, one hand reaching over to wrap around hers. "They live in talons settled among the trees."

Raising an eyebrow, Heather held back a smile and wrapped her fingers around his, lifting their hands up so she could study them thoughtfully. "Sounds like fun."

"And I imagine it would be interesting to spar with another elf besides this old man." He added teasingly, earning a soft laugh from her. Rolling onto her side, Heather looked up at him with a sad smile, her hand tightening around his slightly. "I'll miss you, despite you being an old man."

Chuckling, he returned the squeeze and leaned over her so his loose hair fell down and brushed across her face lightly, making her scrunch her nose at the ticklish feeling. "I will write you every day if it would make your stay more bearable."

Looking up at him, she grinned slightly and tugged a strand of his hair playfully with her free hand. "If I remember to, I'll write back."

"Ah, you call me old, yet you're the one forgetting so many things." Chuckling again, Glorfindel leaned back and tugged on her hand until she sat up. Once she did and was facing him, he reached out and brushed his fingers against the necklace she wore fondly. "When will you leave?"

With a half smile, Heather sighed through her nose and leaned her head against her shoulder, watching him with fond eyes. "By the end of the week apparently."

"Then we must make the most of the time we have left." With the beginnings of a sly grin, he leaned closer to her, watching with amusement as her face reddened at his proximity. "Perhaps a climb?"

"What about-" She started, her voice cracking slightly with nerves. Stopping, she cleared her throat and tried again. "What about training?"

"We will have plenty of time for that when you return. I expect to see improvement by then." Standing up, Glorfindel tugged Heather to her feet with their still joined hands and began tugging her in the direction of their private spot, an eager smile on his lips when he turned to look back at her.

Shaking her head at his childish actions, Heather gave him a smile of her own and let him drag her away into the trees. Considering she would be away for months, it wouldn't hurt to ignore their usual training in favor of spending time together instead.

Besides, she highly doubted he would even want to train right now anyway, judging by the look in his eyes. That mischievous twinkle there make her a tad nervous about being near water with how cold it was beginning to get.

She just knew before the end of the day, somehow, someway, she'd end up in that water one way or another. Silently she vowed if it happened, that damn gold head of his would end up covered in mud as retribution.

* * *

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	33. Chapter 31

**30**

 **Wow, just wow, I am blown away by the influx of positivity I received from you all from my last update.**

 **I cannot say how much it lifted my spirits! I didn't even know I needed to hear what some of you said, I just want to say that right now, I have this ridiculously large grin on my face from how good I feel at the moment.**

 **Thank you all, so so much for your support. It's good to know that I have readers and fans that legitimately care about how I'm feeling and don't feel slighted that I take so long with a new chapter sometimes.**

 **I can't promise anything, but for now I feel like I can do anything. Including updating far more often than you all are used to. And as long as my mood stays high and I'm feeling good, as long as I have a brilliant idea to add, I will update, no set times, no specific days, I will update whenever I feel like I have a finished chapter and keep going until things sour again.**

 **I won't promise that the depression will stay away, I won't promise that my smile will stay on my face. But for now, you all should know that I'm updating because I'm feeling good, and YOU all are the reason for it. Each chapter I put out right now is just because of you.**

 **Smile, because I definitely am right now.**

 **Side Note: A few of you noted this, yes, I am evil and horrible for separating Heather and Glorfindel so soon after their courtship started. :3 But there are specific reasons as to why. You'll see... In a few chapters... Maybe. -Insert evil cackling here-**

 **Also! I hit my 300 review mark AND my 400th follower, cue the confetti cannons and celebration music!**

 **Those of you that either suggested and/or added me to the communities this story is in, thank you. I didn't even realize it was in a second community until recently. I failed to thank the ones that did earlier but I remembered this time!**

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 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

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 _ **English**_

 _Elvish_

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* * *

Stopping just at the edge of her doorway, Heather sent a final glance back with a slight sigh. It would be months before she was able to return to it, meaning if anything was forgotten, she'd have to either hope it was small enough for someone to send it to her, or deal without until she came back.

Hefting the bag hanging from her shoulder higher, she adjusted the strap to her quiver and checked to make sure the belt holding her sheath was secure before stepping out into the hall and slowly shut the door, her eyes flicking over the various surfaces in a last check that she had everything.

With a click, the door shut, her hand still gripping the handle a moment then falling away as she reluctantly stepped back and began walking towards the exit. Keeping her eyes straight ahead of her, Heather refused to look back because she knew if she did, she'd rush into her room and hide under the blankets in hopes that no one would find her.

The last time she left Imladris everything went sour and she ended up loosing an important friendship.

Then again she did become one of the best archers around, but that was beside the point.

Stopping at the edge of the courtyard, she studied the horses and elves gathered there. After much planning, her sister and herself would be escorted to Lothlórien by a group of the best guards Imladris had to offer. An escort that, much to her relief, included her brothers and Glorfindel.

In hindsight, she knew this would just make saying goodbye harder, but for now, she was thankful over the next few weeks, she got to spend time with him before several months of separation.

Catching sight of golden hair, she swallowed down a sigh and put a smile on her face as she went to join Glorfindel beside their horses.

Walking up behind him, Heather reached out and gently stroked her horse's nose with a few whispered words of endearment that was met with a flick of ears and soft wicker from it. Hearing the horse and her quiet words, Glorfindel turned around to look at her, his usual smile in place. "I nearly believed you wouldn't show." He chuckled, making Heather roll her eyes good naturedly and jump up onto her horse. "I may be slower than you when it comes to climbing, but in a race, I still beat you."

"If you choose to believe that, so be it, _Melisse_." With a teasing smile in place, Glorfindel jumped onto his horse as well and winked when she choked back a laugh. The sound of horses' hooves brought their attention over to Arwen as she lead her horse alongside Heather's, a smile that lit up her eyes on her face as she looked over at the two of them.

"Everything is ready, are you, Heather?" She asked gently, eyes flicking between her and Glorfindel while she spoke. Holding back a grimace, Heather nodded reluctantly and turned her steed around to face her father as he stepped out onto the stones paving the courtyard and sent a glance over the group gathered.

Locking eyes with Heather for a moment, he offered an apologetic smile for once again making her go through with this then turned to focus on everyone else. Raising one of his arms, he called for silence and attention. Once everyone settled and were quiet, he looked around and offered his light smile to them. "The lands are changing for _hrive._ And with it the weather." (Winter) He began, a solemn look crossing his features as he continued.

"Along with the changing winds, there are whispers of dangerous bands of creatures attacking travelers. Safety is required as well as stealth and speed." Holding his hands out to them, he smiled again, albeit wearily as if the weight of the world weighed him down. "I pray to Valar your journey is safe." With that, he stepped back to make way for the group as they lined up to begin the trek outside of Imladris, each elf passing him bowing their head in respect.

Coming up alongside him, both Heather and Arwen stopped their horses and looked over at Elrond with matching sad smiles. "I will miss you, Ada." Arwen said softly, reaching out a hand to him which he took between both of his own to look up at his oldest daughter fondly. _"Amin kyermten' lle ar'lle seler'varna entul."_ (I pray for you and your sister's safe return) Looking up at Heather, he held out one of his hands to her which she took with a small frown. "Be safe, be swift." He murmured to her as she squeezed his hand tightly.

"Always, Ada." She murmured in return, making him smile slightly. "I will see you when we come back in the spring." Heather added with a light sigh, spring seeming so long away from then.

"With the distance you will grow, Heather." With a final look, he let go of their hands and stepped back so they could urge their horses to join the others waiting just outside of the gate. Turning to look up at Glorfindel as he passed, they shared a look. One that spoke of a mutual desire to keep them safe. Nodding at Elrond, the fair-headed elf clicked his tongue to his horse and picked up the pace, trotting after the traveling group as they departed.

* * *

Dismounting her horse, Heather gently removed it's tack and saddle with a fond pat on it's rear while it ambled over to join the others nibbling on nearby grass. With a day's ride behind them, they were nearing the edge of the forest Imladris rested in, but with the dangers of traveling, they decided it prudent to stop and enjoy at least one night of rest before continuing on.

Several soft voices came from every side as elves set up for camp that night, some gathering wood, others setting out bedding and passing out some food for those that were hungry.

"You look worried." Glorfindel's familiar voice and presence washed over Heather, making muscles she didn't even realize were tense relax. Sending him a wry smile, she accepted the fruit he offered her and settled down against a nearby tree to relax. "Last time I traveled anywhere, I was attacked by an orc and ended up running home because of a fight with someone." She murmured by way of explanation, biting into the pear idly, eyes scanning the camp then looking over as the ellon settled down on the ground beside her.

"Your worries are sound, however I will not allow anything attack you." He smiled when she rolled her eyes. "That is, if you cannot fight it back yourself."

Sending Glorfindel a fond look, Heather leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder and bit into the pear again, idly watching her sister as she flitted from elf to elf, talking with them and laughing gently at whatever it was they said in return. Heather may be a fighter at heart, with how much she enjoyed training and learning how to battle, her sister was someone she looked up to with how easily she got along with everyone.

Her gentle countenance drew them towards her if they felt stressed, her easy smile giving them the sense of ease they needed with the stress of traveling ahead of the snow and avoiding the bands of orc roaming the land. While Heather was absolutely sure of her abilities to keep herself and others safe, she knew Arwen was the one everyone looked to when they need reassurance.

An arm settling around her shoulders drew Heather from her thoughts and back to the elf beside her as he settled against the tree and relaxed. "You should sleep, your body is not used to the change it's made yet." He murmured to her as she settled more firmly against him and tossed her half eaten pear into the trees over her shoulder with a sigh.

"It's been years and I'm still sleeping more than everyone else." She muttered mulishly, making him chuckle quietly next to her. "I feel inept at everything when I sleep so much."

Casting a fond smile at her sullen look, Glorfindel rested his cheek on top of her head and pulled Heather against his side a little more. "Relax, Heather. No one looks down upon you for it."

"They might not, but I do." She sighed and allowed herself to relax her spine and lay against his side with a reluctant yawn. "Sleep, _Melisse_ , I will watch over you." He murmured in her ear and watched her eyes slowly droop shut.

Soft footfalls made Glorfindel look over as Arwen walked up to them, a slight smile on her face as she took in the sight in front of her. "It is best she sleeps now, as we may not get a chance to stop again." She murmured quietly to the ellon, eyes roaming her sister's relaxed expression then looking over at him as he looked down at the young elf sleeping against him. "Yes, it is why I urged her to do so now." He replied just as quietly, eyes not leaving her face as he reached over and brushed some hair aside fondly.

"It gladdens my heart to see you care so deeply for her." Arwen smiled when he looked up at her with one of his own. "I had no other choice, she became a part of my life without meaning to." He offered with a soft laugh, pausing when Heather murmured quietly in that strange language of hers then fell still again.

"Still, it is plain to everyone that sees you two are meant to be." Choosing to sit down across from them, Arwen shook her head as Heather nuzzled against Glorfindel's shoulder with another murmur and held back a laugh at his embarrassed expression. "Even our brothers find no fault with the courtship." Glancing over at the twins where they sat around the fire with several other elves, she brushed a hand over her hair, adjusting her braid then looked back at them.

Smiling lightly at Arwen, Glorfindel glanced over at them as well and shook his head lightly. "So it would seem. All they had to say to me about it was idle warning should I hurt her."

"It is their job to do so." The elleth bit back a laugh at his exasperated expression and turned her attention back to Heather. "She is not of our blood, however we care just as deeply for her."

Looking down at Heather once again, Glorfindel allowed another fond smile to cross his face. "I thank the Valar every day she appeared here than any other place." Brushing his knuckles against her cheek, he settled his palm against it and rested his head against her's again. "I do not know where I may be now otherwise."

Studying them a moment in silence, Arwen stood and brushed the loose grass and leaves from her clothes. "I will leave you two alone." Sending a slightly mischievous smile in his direction, she stepped away and moved to join her brothers and the elves sitting around the fire.

Once she left, Glorfindel snorted lightly through his nose, yet another habit he picked up from Heather, and wrapped both arms around the elf beside him, settling her more comfortably against him and turned his attention to the night around them, allowing his senses to expand beyond what he could see. Keeping watch as she slept securely in his arms.

Morning dawned early with the sounds of birds singing and various animals calling to one another amongst the trees. Heather, grouchy about being woken up against her will, slumped forward on her saddle as they headed for the edge of the trees. Catching sight of a horse from the corner of her eye, she tipped her head to the side and offered Glorfindel a grimace at his curious glance.

"This is another reason I hate traveling." She muttered by way of explanation, one hand waving idly around them. "Waking up before I'm ready."

Smiling wryly at her, he reached over and patted her knee lightly. "Remind me to never take you from Imladris again." Chuckling, he ducked away from her weak swipe and moved his horse closer. "Come now, an adventure awaits you, Heather. Smile for the world is waiting with open arms for you to embrace it."

"It can keep waiting." She muttered, reluctantly sitting up straight and letting out a jaw breaking yawn much to his amusement. "I'm not ready to embrace anything much less the world."

"Ah, but it will embrace you despite how sour you are." He grinned, earning a glare for his cheek before Heather cracked a reluctant smile and shook her head at his bad joke and looked forward towards the light at the end of the path they were traveling along.

"Come, the others are putting ground between us." He tipped his head towards the group ahead of them and urged his horse into a light trot, making Heather groan and do the same beside him, both steeds easily catching up with the back of the troupe and falling into a easy walk once more.

"How long will our journey take?" She asked finally just as they reached the edge of the trees and squinted out across the land in front of them with a small frown. Scanning the area quickly for any danger, Glorfindel turned his attention back to her and tipped his head to the side in thought a moment. "Three weeks at most, we will not be stopping as often as you would like, _Melisse_." He said apologetically, making her groan lightly and rub at her neck.

"Should you feel tired, you can sleep on your horse, she is used to traveling long distances." He added when she sent him an exhausted look, feeling a flicker of worry at the thought of her being too tired to defend herself should it happen. "I will ensure you won't fall."

"Thanks, but I doubt it'll be that easy." She murmured, turning to look across the grassland with a small sigh. "I should be fine, I don't sleep as much as I used to when we first met. Every few days at least."

Sending her one last look, Glorfindel nodded and turned his attention back to their surroundings. Despite being so close to the forests, there was still the threat of danger at any time. No matter how much he wished to spend their last weeks together before winter, they both knew to keep watch instead.

There were few places between here and Lothlórien that allowed for relaxation and rest like last night. And he planned to take advantage of them when the time presented himself, however, for now, he will keep alert and watch for incoming danger. Silently he was thankful her Father allowed him to train her despite his misgivings about letting Heather learn to weald a sword. At least he could rest easy knowing she could defend herself should it come down to it.

Trading a glance with Heather, they smiled wryly at each other and settled into their horses. It would definitely be a long ride before they could stop again.

* * *

Leaning forward on her horse's neck, Heather struggled to keep her eyes open despite how dark it was and grit her teeth against another yawn as it threatened to break loose. Forcing herself upright, she rubbed her face wearily and shook her head sharply, trying to keep the fog of sleep at bay.

Several days of riding and very few rests between then and now was wearing her down bit by bit. Already she was well past her usual tolerance for lack of sleep, she could feel it creeping in at the edges of her thoughts with the way they wandered off into disjointed ideas, breaking into English and Elvish depending on how much clarity she had at the time.

"It is not much farther." Arwen's voice broke through her tired thoughts, bringing Heather back to the real world for the moment. Looking over at her sister, Heather offered a weak grin and nodded, unable to bring up enough energy to even voice her reply at the time. The entire traveling group knew how tired she was, judging by how three of the guard now rode their horses around her, almost as if they expected her to pass out any moment, and if she was being honest with herself, she probably would if given half the chance.

Sending her one last smile, Arwen turned back forward and let her eyes roam the dark around them again, keeping watch like the others as Heather struggled to stay upright.

Turning her thoughts inward once more, Heather frowned and bit her tongue in an effort to wake up. What she wouldn't give for a large mug of strong coffee right now! With only a little sugar and no cream... And a jelly doughnut, and bacon... Letting her inner monologue wander off in yet another random direction, she glanced over to where Glorfindel rode beside her, ever alert and let a small smile flicker across her face at the sight of his strong profile.

It was amazing really, considering how little she remembered of her life before arriving in Imladris. She found a family, good friends and finally... This amazing elf that, without a doubt, loved her fully and completely with no hidden agenda. Sensing her stare, Glorfindel glanced over and studied her quietly a moment, taking in her tired features and vacant expression before moving his horse closer.

Without warning, he reached over and plucked her from the saddle she sat on without difficulty and settled her in front of him on his own horse, one arm wrapping securely around her waist while the other continued guiding the steed easily.

Her horse sensing something amiss with her ride, trotted obediently along behind his. Leaning down slightly, Glorfindel whispered in her ear when he heard her weak protests. "Sleep, I have you."

Despite her surprise at his abrupt actions, Heather found herself relaxing back against his strong chest, her body willingly following his orders and settling into a state of sleep bit by bit. Without a word, she closed her eyes and nodded off in his secure grip, completely trusting him to keep her safe as she slept.

Disjointed dreams of trees and vaguely familiar faces floated in front of Heather, soft voices she couldn't quite remember whispered to her about things she couldn't recall. All of it mixing with her life in Imladris and causing vague confusion in her dreams. None of this was familiar while at the same time it eased her mind and allowed her to slip farther into sleep.

Distantly, she heard voices conversing but her dreams beckoned, drawing her back away from awakening. The voice of a woman bringing her to the vision of a room filled with comfortable furniture and a brightly lit tree in the corner. Scrunching her eyebrows, Heather tried to ignore the steadily growing voices she heard in the distance and focused on the faces in front of her, trying to place where she had seen them before as she watched the gathered people talk and laugh with each other while they exchanged colorful packages with one another.

A loud cry and sudden physical jolt ripped her from the vision and back into reality as she awoke with a gasp, eyes wide as she looked around in shock.

"Wh-" She started only to have Glorfindel tighten his grip around her waist, his horse pounding the ground as it sprinted across the grass towards distant trees. The sounds of shouts and guttural screams from behind brought Heather's head around to stare behind them in disjointed confusion, eyes not quite comprehending the sight of elves and dark creatures swinging swords and shooting arrows at each other as the distance between them grew.

"Hold tight, Heather." Glorfindel's authoritative voice broke through to her, making the elleth look up at him with wide eyes and look back in front of them, her gaze catching on the sight of her sister and two other guards cantering along beside them. Swallowing thickly, she nodded and grabbed onto the reigns he offered her, watching from the corner of her eye as his hands came away, one reappearing with a bow gripped in it, the other showing up with an arrow. "What happened?" She finally asked, head twisting from side to side as she scanned the area and urged the horse to move faster.

Placing the arrow to his bowstring, Glorfindel grit his teeth and surveyed the area before replying in that same voice from before. "An ambush of Orc surprised us. None of us suspected they would be here in the open." Catching sight of something moving up behind them, he drew back on the bow, aiming at the mass and letting go, a grim look crossing his features at the orc's cry of pain.

"How did they know anyone would be coming this way?" With a low growl, Heather leaned over the horse's neck and followed Arwen and the guards in front of them, guiding the animal off of the path and into the dense trees running alongside it easily. "No one takes this path, there aren't any villages along it!"

Once sure no more orc were lying in wait, Glorfindel turned his attention back to Heather as she skillfully guided his horse through the trees, jumping logs and large rocks while keeping up with the others with some measure of pride and grimaced at the implied thought she didn't voice.

"It would seem they expected us." He muttered, sharp eyes flicking around the trees before letting out a piercing whistle, calling for the small group to stop and gather. Seeing the horses ahead of them slow, Heather breathed out a low sigh of relief and pulled gently on the reigns, causing the horse to slow to a trot then stop, it's sides heaving in an effort to catch it's breath as they both dismounted to join the elves already on the ground, bows and swords in hand.

Reaching for her own bow, heather notched an arrow easily and came to a stop beside her sister, eyes scanning the trees then turning to look at Arwen, a similar wide-eyed expression in place as they checked to make sure the other was alright then looked over at Glorfindel when he drew level with them, a stern expression on his face.

"It is not safe to stop for long, see to your wounds and gather what supplies we can." He ordered quietly, aware that there could be anything in the trees waiting to pounce on them at any time. With several short nods, the guards turned and started doing as ordered, leaving the other three to gather and converse.

"Arwen, are you well?" Glorfindel asked, looking over the elleth as she nodded, a worried twist to her mouth as she looked up at him when he breathed a soft sigh of relief. "What of the others?"

"I do not know, when the orc attacked, I was urged to leave quickly." She murmured, making the ellon glance back in the direction they came from then looked over at Heather as she wandered in the direction of her horse where it stood, it's coat shivering from time to time. Somehow the steed knew to keep up and follow them without being guided, and at that moment, she couldn't be more grateful.

As fast as Glorfindel's own horse was, it had been slower than the others due to carrying two riders at the time. Reaching up, she gently ran her hand down the horse's snout, murmuring soothingly and watching as the wide-eyed fear slowly melted away bit by bit.

The sound of a cracking twig brought her attention from the horse in front of her and her bow up, arrow drawn, pointed in the direction of the sound. Slowly backing away, she came to a stop when Glorfindel appeared next to her, his eyes searching the wood before relaxing as a familiar form appeared from behind a tree.

Striding forward, he gripped arms with the elf as he dropped his own sword in relief at seeing them. A hushed conversation followed quickly as Arwen came to stand beside Heather, both of them watching while both elves conversed then turned to join them. "Where are the others?" Heather asked reluctantly, her mouth tightening in a thin line when the arrival shook his head. "I lost sight of them when we moved into the trees. There is no telling how many survived."

Glorfindel remained silent, obviously thinking as he turned to look at the other elves when they joined the huddle. "For now, we assume they cannot move on and continue forward. It is best if we reach Lothlórien quickly as possible now with the threat being so close." He finally announced, watching as they all nodded in return. "What of our supplies?"

"Enough to make it there, if we use them sparingly." One of them spoke up, a small frown on their face. "Once we arrive, it would be best to ask for more before we leave again."

"As I'm sure they will provide." He nodded and turned to Arwen and Heather, a serious expression on his face that called for their total attention. "What I say, I do not say lightly, but it is prudent you do as I say." He started, leveling both of them with a stern look that made them frown in turn.

"Should we come across another attack, you two are not to stop. You escape and continue on to Lothlórien, with or without us."

Holding up a hand, he stopped Heather's protest the second she opened her mouth to do so. "I am bound to ensure your safe arrival, and I will do so no matter what." With a sharp look, he watched her slowly deflate and nod reluctantly, obviously disagreeing with him with her expression. "I do not wish either of you to be harmed in an attempt to help when you can just as easily escape. i do not need to tell either of you what will happen should the Orc capture you."

A flashback of what happened last time an Orc had it's hands on her made Heather shrug and nod a little more readily at his statement, hands coming up to rub at her arms lightly to stave off the disgusted shudder that worked it's way through her body. "It is best if we do not stay any longer." He finally said after a small silence, turning to look at the much smaller group of elves. "Let us make our way, quickly and quietly." Without a word, everyone there turned to mount their horses and followed him back into the trees, using the shadows they cast to disguise them and their movements.

* * *

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	34. Chapter 32

**32**

 **Yet another chapter for you lovely lovely people. I don't know how to say thank you properly so I hope the influx of updates does the job.**

 **Warning: Angst, battle, blood**

 **Sorry for how short this one is, but I thought it was a good stopping off point for the next chapter. I know it's not my usual length, but I hope the content makes up for that.**

 **Spoilers!**

 **Yes, I just made a Doctor Who reference in my author's note for a LotR fanfiction. I'm that strange.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

 _ **English**_

 _Elvish_

 **~*~PLEASE REVIEW~*~**

* * *

Other than the sound of rustling leaves and quiet horse's steps, silence descended on the small group as they made their way through the trees. Each eye alert, every body tense in preparation for another attack.

It had been three days since the first attack on them, with no word from the others of the group that had been separated previously. The only ones now were Heather, Arwen, Glorfindel and three other guards Heather honestly couldn't remember the names of. Tightening her grip on the bow in her hand, the arrow held tight with it cutting into her palm as Heather twisted in her saddle to peer behind where Glorfindel rode.

Locking gazes a moment, they silently assessed the other, each one attempting to gauge how they felt before weak smiles were exchanged and they returned to keeping watch on the silent woods around them. It was unnerving really, the usual sounds of animals were even gone, setting each member of the group on edge as they moved forward at a steady pace.

Even Arwen's usual cheer was long gone under the threat of another attack. Without taking any breaks and cutting through much of the forest rather than taking the path they originally planned to, they had cut off nearly a week on their travels and were merely a few days away from Lothlórien. Four or five at the most, and that was without taking time to rest and continuing along the trees while avoiding the path as much as possible.

Feeling that familiar crawling itch spread across her bare arms, Heather pulled her horse to a slow walk, letting Glorfindel ride up next to her as she darted her eyes around nervously. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on her bow and arrow slightly and sent a sharp, questioning glance over at the elf beside her.

Without a word, he dipped his head in a slight nod and turned to look in the trees just off to the side of him, sharp eyes peering as deep as they could in the fading light. Still keeping silent, his right hand came down and rested on the hilt of his sword, strong fingers slowly wrapping around the grip as he waited.

The rest of the group ahead of them, seeming to sense the foreboding nature of the wood around them slowed to a stop, coming in and circling around so they each faced a direction. Even Arwen held onto the dagger she kept on her while traveling, her gaze attempting to pierce the darkness pressing in on their small group.

Moving slowly, Heather notched the arrow she held into her bow, keeping the string slack as she twisted her head side to side, ears straining to catch any sound other than the quiet breathing around her.

A soft twang drew her gaze over to look at one of the guards, mouth opening in warning too late as she watched in horror as a black arrow impeded itself into his neck.

A war cry sounded right after, startling the horses and making them prance nervously in place as the elves spun around, trying to figure out what direction it came from. Pounding footsteps and the breaking of branches on all sides told them all they needed to know.

They were surrounded.

Spinning his horse around, Glorfindel locked Heather with an intent gaze, watching the strain on her face twist around as she stared back at him in shock. Reaching over, he rested his hand against her cheek, taking in her expression and breathed a soft sigh.

Before she could speak, he pulled back and sent her a sad smile, then, without a word, he slapped her horse on the rear, sending it bolting off into the trees, dodging between plants and orc that dove out of the way of the dangerous hooves. The sound of another horse behind her, made Heather look over her shoulder just enough to see her sister slowly catching up.

Hair streaming, tears slipping down her cheeks, Heather ducked her head down and trusted the horse to guide itself through the trees. A deep part of her spirit cried out for the fledgling bond she and Glorfindel began to build up, needing him near, needing him safe beside her.

Blindly they raced on, moving farther away from the sounds of battle and into the silence of the forest. It seemed like hours before the horses finally slowed to a trot, then finally, a walk. Sides heaving with the exertion of running so far and so long.

Sitting up, Heather stared blankly at the sight of Arwen dismounting her horse and moving over to stand beside hers, a sad expression on her face. "Come, Heather, it is still too dangerous to stop and the horses cannot go any farther." She murmured, reaching up to rest a hand on her sister's knee before the younger elf silently nodded and dismounted as well.

Turning as one, they began walking into the woods, keeping to the shadows and ears attuned to the sounds around them. With just Arwen there, Heather forced herself to shake off the sudden, crushing sadness that had engulfed her at Glorfindel's distance, and pulled out her blades, holding them at her sides at the ready as they crept along the forest floor.

Faintly, she realized her entire body was shaking, almost immediately realizing after it had been the rush of Adrenalin from their race through the trees. Pausing next to a thick patch of bushes, both elleth crouched down under cover and peered through the branches at the area in front of them.

It was silent, not a bird called, not even the sound of an insect to break the uneasy stillness. Biting her lip, Heather turned to look at Arwen, catching sight of the large shadow behind her moments before it struck.

A large orc pounced on Arwen and drug her several feet away before she could react. Jumping to her feet, she moved toward them without thinking of the consequences, her mind already deciding to help the woman she loved like family before she even consciously made a decision.

A flicker of light and a howl of pain pulled her up short, eyes darting down to the small dagger stuck into the creatures leg as Arwen jumped to her feet and darted away from it. With a guttural growl of rage, it reached down and yanked the offending weapon out of it's flesh, the soft sound of tearing skin reaching Heather as she began advancing on it again.

Catching sight of her from the corner of it's eye, the orc turned to face Heather as she squared off with it, both blades coming up into first position like Glorfindel had taught her all those years ago. Burning eyes glaring at the thing over top of shining blades as it sized her up with a slow smirk curling it's upper lip.

Pulling out it's own sword, the orc barked out a laugh. "Come then, elf, if you are so eager to meet your gods." Narrowing her eyes, Heather focused on the creature, studying it's lazy form and felt a slight smile curl her own lips upward at the sloppy way it held it's sword.

"I don't think so, _**Freak.**_ " She hissed, darting forward and slicing out with one blade, easily knocking it's sword away to the side and following in with with her other hand, the sharp weapon easily cutting into the orc's stomach before jumping back and studying it with an almost curious air.

Swearing in it's ugly language, the orc dropped it's sword and held a hand to the deep wound on it's stomach, still lurching towards her despite not having anything to attack her with. With an almost lazy motion, she batted his oncoming fist away with the flat of her blade and swiped out with the other, cutting clean through it's neck and swallowing back the sudden bile that rose up as it rolled down and thudded to the grass below.

For a moment, almost as if it didn't realize it was dead, the orc's body stood upright, twitching slightly before finally crumpling down and falling still. Stepping away, Heather let out a long, low breath before dropping to her knees and resting her hands on the grass, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of her completely.

Gentle hands coming to rest on her shoulders made her jump and look up at Arwen in surprise. She had completely forgotten about the other elf during the battle, if you could call it that.

A silent understanding passed between the two of them, making Heather get back to her feet and look around the area as Arwen retrieved her dagger and rejoined the younger elf. No words were needed as they set off at the same time in the direction they had been heading in. Only one orc this far into the forest was a warning, one that said quite clearly there must be more nearby.

* * *

It had taken a bit of convincing, but finally Heather managed to convince Arwen to take to the trees rather than walking on the ground. In her opinion, it made them easy targets, walking down there rather than up in the branches. At least up here they had leaves and the advantage of spotting any orc before they were spotted themselves.

Well, that was her theory anyway. Pausing on a thicker branch, Heather steadied herself against the trunk of the tree and peered out ahead of them, waiting for her sister to catch up with her before motioning her to be quiet and crouching down.

She had seen something ahead of them, it wasn't more than a flicker of movement, but it was enough to alert her that something was up there. Reaching up, she slowly pulled her bow out and strung an arrow, waiting for it to move again.

When nothing happened, she frowned slightly and relaxed her pull on the string, letting the bow dip down as she squinted into the dark. Turning to Arwen, she furrowed her brow and returned her bow on her back before moving to another branch, easily slipping between the leaves and barely rustling them as they moved farther.

It was several minutes before luck finally caught up to them in the form of a scouts talon, settled high in the branches of a large tree. With identical looks of relief, both Arwen and Heather scaled up to the platform and settled down gladly on the sturdy flooring. Closing her eyes, Heather let out a long breath and shared a smile with her sister as they rested for a moment. It didn't take a genius to realize they were at least a day's ride away from Lothlórien now. Two days with how they were traveling.

With any more luck, they would run into a group of guards patrolling this area of the forest and alert them to what had happened. A now-familiar feeling tightened in her gut, making Heather's good cheer fall once again. Throughout their silent escape, she constantly worried about Glorfindel. Not a single sign of him or the others had been seen as they moved along.

However, despite how worried she was, Heather refused to even think he may have been killed. Even if he had been surrounded by orc when he forced her horse to run, there had been two other elves who were trained guards to help him. He even once told her one elf was equal to ten orc on a good day, and he was worth at least twenty.

Shaking her head, Heather moved to the edge of the platform, crouching down and peering over the side intently. They couldn't stay there long, there was no telling how deep into the forest the orc had gotten already, it wasn't safe. Nowhere was safe until they reached Lothlórien.

Turning to look at Arwen, she nodded slightly at the questioning glance the older elleth sent her way. It seemed to be safe to move now, she couldn't see or hear anything following them.

Moving to join her sister, she sent a final glance down to the ground and stopped in surprise. There, movement!

Dropping to a crouch, she pulled Arwen down with her, bow already taught as she aimed at the movement coming closer to them. Just before releasing the arrow, she caught the sound of horse's hooves and slackened her grip, watching warily as a familiar horse ran into view.

"Heather-" Arwen gasped, recognizing the horse just as her sister slipped over the edge of the platform and landed softly on the ground below. Catching sight of her, the horse nickered quietly and walked up to her tiredly, it's head dipping down to nose against her shoulder. Reaching up, Heather gently stroked it's neck and moved around to the side where a figure sat slumped against the saddle.

Reaching up with a trembling hand, Heather brushed away the stained gold locks from Glorfindel's face and sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of multiple bleeding cuts marring his features.

Swallowing back a cry, she moved her hand away from his cheek and down to his neck, pressing insistent fingers to the side of it as she searched for a sign of life from him.

Seconds passed agonizingly slow before finally, there, a soft flutter against her fingertips telling her at least his heart still beat, however weak it was. Turning to look up at her sister, she offered a weak smile and nodded her head at the questioning look she was giving her. Turning back to Glorfindel, she slowly reached up and adjusted him in the saddle so he laid on his stomach, reaching into the bag attached to it, she slipped out a length of rope and began winding it around his prone body, securely attaching him to the horse so he wouldn't slip and moved back around to the front so she could run a soothing hand along it's nose.

Stepping up beside her, Arwen breathed out at the sight of Glorfindel's wounds, worry tightening her features as she began running her hands along them slowly, using the natural healing abilities she inherited from Elrond to search for any lasting damage.

"How-" Hearing her voice crack, Heather stopped and cleared her throat before trying again, ignoring the tremble to her words as she spoke. "How is he?"

"The wounds are not life threatening. But something is causing his heart to weaken." Arwen murmured softly, looking over at Heather apologetically. "I fear he may be poisoned."

Closing her eyes, Heather held back another urge to cry out and nodded stiffly. They needed to move, now. Reaching out, she took the horse's reigns and used them to lead the beast alongside her, continually twisting her head from side to side, unable to shake the uneasy feeling from being on the ground again. It wasn't like they could go back into the trees with Glorfindel in the state he was in. Even if she thought she could carry him and move branch to branch, she couldn't leave his horse on the ground to fend for itself despite how dangerous it was for them.

Trying to stay in the shadows of the trees, they moved as quietly as they could, both elleth keeping a watchful eye out as they moved onward. Neither one able to relax and feeling the urge to run screaming at the back of their minds.

The sounds of multiple light footfalls brought them up short not long after, making both elleth look at each other then grab onto their weapons, wary of what it might be.

A low, musical note sounded, making them nearly jump just as several elves appeared from the trees, wearing light armor that seemed to glow in the darkness as they moved in towards the three of them.

Feeling relief course through her, Heather sagged against the horse, watching in awe as the small platoon of guards descended on and surrounded them. Looking up at the horse, she let out a low chuckle and patted it on the nose before turning to step away.

A shock of pain bolted up her leg however, making her cry out in surprise and fall to the ground. Looking down, she stared at the large gash on her leg in bewilderment. When had that gotten there? Not hearing or seeing the elves as they converged around her, each one asking a question of some kind, she reached down and gently peeled away the ragged edges of her leggings, looking at the angry, red wound as it oozed blood.

Vaguely, she remembered feeling something hit her leg as they escaped the orc earlier, but she had brushed it off, thinking it was a branch or something. But apparently... She pursed her lips and tried to stand back up, ignoring the several voices warning her to stay still at the time. Gasping at the pain, she fell back before even putting pressure on the wounded leg. Apparently she had been cut with one of those blasted swords. The Adrenalin from running and keeping Arwen safe must have blocked out the pain.

Feeling lightheaded, Heather ran a hand through her hair, breathing in deeply in an attempt to dispel the fog beginning to crowd in her mind. Already the faces around her were beginning to grow fuzzy, and was it just her, or was the nighttime of the forest growing even darker?

* * *

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	35. Chapter 33

**33**

 **Just to let you all know, I won't be updating this weekend as I am a parent and have a tiny human to do things with while she isn't in school.**

 **That's it, glad you all are liking the new updates so far! Let me know your thoughts on where it's turning.**

 **-I do NOT own LotR or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Heather and the plot**

 **~TL**

 _ **English**_

 _Elvish_

 _ **~*~**_ **PLEASE REVIEW~*~**

* * *

A spray of black blood doused Heather in the face as she sliced through another orc. Exhaustion pulled at her limbs while the body fell, but dark laughter coming from behind made Heather grimace and spin around to block another blade as it came down towards her head.

Dropping to one knee, she swiped out with her other blade, breaking through the weak armor at the knee and cutting through, toppling the creature followed by a pain-filled howl. With a grunt of effort, she lifted one arm and brought it clean through the orc's neck. Closing her eyes against the splash of blood, she jerked the blade from the ground and stared out grimly across the battlefield in front of her. Elves and men all battling side by side against the orc and other hellish creatures that had scattered across the ground.

Thudding footsteps from behind made her grimace and spin around to face the new threat only to stop, gaping at the large foot coming directly for her. The astonishment at what she was seeing making it impossible to move out of the way in time.

Exhaustion weighed her down, hands barely gripping onto the handles of her blades anymore. Too many orc killed by her hand, too many elves and men lay around her, their blood turning the ground into rust-colored mud. Breathing out a sigh, Heather closed her eyes and waited for the crushing sensation she knew was coming, vaguely thinking of a golden-headed elf as she stood there.

"I'm so sorry, Old man." A hoarse whisper slipped past her lips, a few tears streaking down her face. "I'm sorry..." Seconds before she was crushed, a strong hand gripped her arm and yanked Heather from the foot's path. Landing hard on the ground, she grunted and lay still a moment, only to have whoever it was yank her upright. Blue eyes stared intensely into her's as the ellon shook her shoulders. "Heather! Focus, you must fight!" Breathing out, he slowly reached up and cradled her bruised jaw with a gentle hand. "I do not wish to see you die."

Forcefully shaking herself from the haze of defeat she had fallen in, Heather sucked in a deep breath and focused more on his features, eyes roaming them in worry when the realization struck her he had been fighting all this time himself. Catching sight of the small cut along his eyebrow, she reached up and gently brushed a thumb against it with a frown. "You're cut."

A low laugh spilled from his throat, making her own lips quirk in a weak smile. "I am much better off than you appear to be." Offering the elf a wry smile, Heather gently pulled away from his comforting hand and looked out across the masses of bodies fighting one another. "How much longer will this last?"

Staring out at the field himself, the ellon smiled grimly and shook his fair head. "There is no way to tell." Reaching over, Heather slipped her free hand into his, squeezing it gently to get his attention. Once those intense eyes where on her again, she pulled him down to her level and brushed her lips across his with a fond breath. "Be safe, I cannot be married without the elf I wish to be with." Pulling back, she sent him a teasing smile and turned away, disappearing into the battle once more, the urge to live and fight once more burning through her as she once more engaged an orc just as it went to swipe down at another fighter.

The cries of battle and the sound of wounded began to fade away. Slowly, the light followed, leaving her hovering in the dark, a familiar, comfortable dark.

 _"Kuile, Heather. Entula' lye."_ (Awake, Heather. Return to us.)

Frowning slightly, she twisted about in the blackness trying to pinpoint the voice.

 _"Kuile, Heather."_ (Awake, Heather)

A faint licker of light flashed in front of her eyes, making her wince in response and back away the best she could in her weightless stance. Despite the voice being calm, it was unknown, making her recoil from it rather than move closer. Faintly, she wanted to move back towards the field of battle, back towards the blue eyes that were familiar to her.

 _"Anidi' huine ar'entula' lye."_ (Avoid the darkness and return to us.)

Despite her struggles to stay where she was, Heather found herself drifting closer to the voice, the darkness around her beginning to grow light, and with it, the dull sense of pain emanating from one of her legs. With a soft groan, she shifted and winced at the resulting throb from whatever was hurting her. A pair of gentle hands rested against her leg, a voice too quiet to hear murmuring something a moment then brushed soothingly against the sore spot as the pain dulled to manageable levels.

Breathing out a soft sigh of relief, Heather let her body relax against the soft material she laid on. The last fog of darkness lifted from her mind, letting the thoughts that had been hidden away before come forward now.

The first one being about a certain elf that had been wounded. Eyes popping open, she jerked upright and bit back a cry at the electric jolt that ran up her leg, along her side and straight to her brain, creating a throbbing headache from the sudden movement.

Leaning forward, she groaned and cradled her head in both hands. The same voice from before caught her attention once more, making Heather tip her head to the side a bit so she could look up at them through squinted eyes. A pair of silver eyes met hers, cautious as she slowly assessed them then straightened up bit by bit until she could sit upright and look at them fully.

A young ellon by appearances, coupled with silver eyes and nearly white hair. Grimacing slightly, Heather cleared her throat and squinted at him. "Where is Glorfindel?" She finally asked, her voice sounding hoarse with how dry her mouth was.

Seeming startled, the young ellon jumped a bit at her question and fiddled with whatever he held in his hands. "Lord Glorfindel is being treated." He finally answered, silver eyes darting upwards to her intense gaze then back down to his hands. "Lady Arwen requested I give this to you when you awoke." Reaching out, he held a paper in his hand, Arwen's familiar handwriting perfectly visible.

Furrowing her brows, Heather accepted the letter from him and scanned the words on it carefully. Finishing, she slowly settled her hands on her lap and looked across the room, not seeing anything in front of her as her thoughts wandered.

According to the letter, Glorfindel wasn't badly injured despite the numerous cuts she remembered seeing, none of them would scar.

However there had been a deeper gash along his back, that was the one that poisoned him in the end. With the right treatment and plenty of medicine, he should fight it off, already he was showing signs of responding to voices around him. A twitch of a finger, or his eyelids flickering. There was no telling how long it would be before he woke back up, but Arwen believed he would soon.

"Lady Heather..?" A hesitant voice called to her, making Heather blink and look over at the elf beside her with a curious look on her face. "Your leg is still damaged, it will take time for it to heal completely." He murmured, gaze drifting down to where the wound was hidden under a thin sheet. "I am sure it hurts deeply, I can retrieve medicine so it will not pain you."

"No... No I'll be fine." Rubbing at her forehead lightly, Heather turned her attention to her leg and lifted the shred to stare at the white bandage wrapped neatly around her calf. "Are you certain?" The elf, apparently worried, hovered around the bed she lay on, wanting to do something, but having no idea what.

"Yes, I'm fine." Biting back a smile at his antics, Heather raised an eyebrow, watching as he flitted from one side to the other. "Calm down, would you? I'm not dying." Reaching out, she grabbed his arm gently and tugged so he would sit back down on his chair. "It's not like I can go anywhere, so you'll just have to keep me company." She grinned and ran a hand through her hair, idly noting with some amusement that they must have kept it tidy however long she slept.

"Now, what is your name?" Heather relaxed against the pillow behind her, the worry she had before melting away after reading Arwen's letter. " _Lanta_." (Fall) He replied slowly, almost as if he didn't expect her even ask. Grinning slightly, Heather patted him on the back of the hand then reached for the glass of water that finally caught her eye. "I'm sure you already know my name considering you just used it." She offered wryly, making Lanta flush slightly. "Your sister, Lady Arwen." He explained, earning another smile from Heather.

"Where is she? Do you know?" She asked suddenly, eyes drifting towards the window behind him with a curious light in them.

"Ah, I do not know." Tipping his head to the side, Lanta watched Heather a moment then offered a small smile. "I can find her if you would like..?"

"Yes, would you?" Turning her attention back to the young ellon, Heather grinned again and watched him get to his feet quickly. With a quick bow, he moved towards the door and paused to look back at her. "I will return shortly."

"No rush." Heather waved a hand at him with that same smile, watching as his white hair disappeared around the edge of the door.

Silence reigned in the small round room, the smile on Heather's face falling away once she was sure the elf was gone. Looking down at her hands, she slowly loosened the death-grip she held on the cup and turned to place it back on the table beside her with trembling hands.

It had taken everything in her to keep from breaking down in front of Lanta, the elf she assumed had been charged with her care and healing. But now that she was alone, Heather could feel the mask she held in place crumble away, leaving her with a panicked expression instead.

Deep in the reassesses of her mind, she could see it, that moment play over and over again. The sounds of her blades cutting through flesh, the faint gurgle the orc released when he released his final breath.

The way she quickly dispatched his life, without a single reservation for what she was doing. Leaning forward, Heather buried her head in shaking hands, trying to stave off the panic attack she could feel coming. It was a familiar feeling she didn't enjoy, even though it had been several years since she last felt this way, she remembered it well.

A slow buildup of her heartbeat began to pound in her ears, soft gasping breaths sucked in between barely parted lips along with the feeling of cotton in her mouth. The trembling spread from her hands down her arms and through the rest of her body, leaving her shaking like a leaf in the middle of the bed. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she hid her face behind her knees and tried to remember how to steady her nerves.

A dull roaring covered up the sounds of the world around her accompanied by the repeating sounds of her blade going through flesh and the gurgle of that creature as it died. Gritting her teeth, Heather bit back a cry as another shudder wracked her body. A faint voice in the back of her head began to urge her to run, run run. Don't stop, don't stop, run until nothing is there, run until she couldn't see the face of the orc.

Feeling herself straighten her legs out, Heather was dimly aware of the fact she moved to sit on the edge of the bed, entire body tensed to spring forward and start sprinting with no direction in mind.

However a sharp lance of pain running from her calf made her mad rush for the door stop as she collapsed to the floor with a muffled groan. The instinct to run, still screaming at her nerves, Heather did the only thing she could do, hide. Scrambling across the floor and ignoring the protests from her leg, she curled up against the side of the bed, her shoulder pressing against the wall as she returned to burying her head in her hands.

Fingers curling and uncurling in her hair, she tugged at it lightly to try and gain some focus once more. Another tremor wracked her body, locking her knees tight against her chest while her breathing turned from short breaths into panicked gasps. Eyes open but not seeing what was in front of her, Heather watched the orc's head fall away repeatedly.

Gripping her hair tight, Heather tried to close her eyes only to see it's face there as well, it's death gurgle echoing in her ears.

Suddenly, a pair of hands gripped her wrists gently, pulling them away from her head and down so she could look up into Arwen's worried face. _**"I can't stop seeing him. Make it stop, make it stop..."**_ Unaware she was babbling in English, Heather continued pleading with Arwen to just make it stop, stop it please!

Another hand appeared between them, holding a cup that Arwen took and gently lifted it to her lips. Pausing her pleading long enough to take a hasty gulp of the cool liquid, Heather leaned back against the wall, her head thudding against it lightly as the infused liquid immediately took effect.

Swallowing past the cottony feeling in her mouth, Heather closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, feeling her heartbeat slow to a more normal rate. After several minutes of her taking slow, steady breaths, she finally looked over at Arwen and grimaced at the worried expression still on her face.

She didn't mean to make anyone worry, it wasn't the first time she'd been through this. That's why she sent the other elf away. Unfortunately, she wasn't as able to control the panic as she thought she was. Heaving out a low sigh, Heather reached up and grabbed onto the bed, using it as leverage to get off of the floor and back onto the soft mattress with a groan. Already her leg was throbbing as if it were on fire from all the moving she had done. Twisting herself around, she settled back against the wall behind her and finally looked at the two faces staring at her warily, as if she would break down again.

A muscle twitched in her jaw as she stared back at them silently a moment then huffed out a sigh and crossed her arms. "Go ahead, say it."

Arwen and Lanta exchanged a brief glance then looked back over at her with slight frowns on their faces. "Heather-" Arwen began, stopping when she raised her hand and shook her head. "Never mind, Arwen." She sighed and rubbed her hands down her face thoughtfully. "There isn't anything you can do. I'm the only one that can deal with this..."

"But, Heather, if you spoke about it-"

"No, that'll only make me panic again." Shaking her head, Heather looked over at her sister and offered a tired smile. Reaching over, she gripped her hand tightly and looked down at the sheet now covering her legs once again.

"I'll be fine, Arwen. Please, just... Tell me how Glorfindel is."

Arwen, the worried pinch to her face still present, finally nodded and settled back against the chair she sat in. "He fights off the poison much faster than I thought he would." She finally said, a small smile twitching at her lips at Heather's relieved expression. "He awoke long enough to ask how you fared."

Slumping forward slightly, Heather breathed out a long thankful sigh. "That would be him." She murmured with a light laugh, eyes drooping a little. Already exhaustion was catching up with her, with her leg still healing, body fighting off what was left of the poison and a panic attack heaped on top, she was far more tired than she wanted to be.

Reaching over, Arwen gently pushed back on her shoulders, making Heather lay back despite her weak protests. "Sleep, Heather. I will bring you more news when you wake." Gentle fingers brushed across her forehead, soothing the younger elf as she reluctantly let her eyes shut and fell asleep almost instantly.

Standing beside her bed for a moment, Arwen frowned down at Heather's peaceful face then turned to look over at Lanta where he hovered by the doorway. "Please, stay with her. I do not know if she will awaken in a panic."

"Of course, Lady." Bowing at the waist, watched her leave then turned to settle in the seat she just vacated, one hand reaching over to gently rest against one of Heather's clenched ones, the other brushing across her forehead where it began to draw together in worry.

The absolute relief he saw in her eyes when Arwen spoke of Glorfindel waking up was apparent. Despite the letter she read earlier, she had still been so worried over his health. Settling down, he continually brushed a hand along her forehead, murmuring the healing words he had been taught years ago, intent on fighting back the shadows that still clung to her mind.

* * *

The days that passed since her panic attack were a haze at best, Heather wasn't even sure exactly how many times she woke up long enough to drink something, eat then fall back asleep.

Each time she woke up was punctuated by Arwen and her updates, she lived for the moments her sister would be there when she woke. Each day brought more news about Glorfindel, that he was getting better faster than any of the healers thought possible. He was awake, but unable to move.

He ate heavy foods without any problems today.

He was able to sit up on his own and the poison in his system is nearly gone.

Each time, Heather struggled to stay awake, but always failed. She suspected the water they were giving her had been laced with something to keep her relaxed. Apparently elves can cure nearly every wound imaginable, but have no idea how to deal with panic attacks.

It took several attempts to, but finally she managed to shake off the fog of sleep and shook her head at the offered water with a grimace. "I don't want to sleep anymore, Lanta."

"Lady-"

"And don't call me that, I'm Heather. Not Lady." She grumbled, still grouchy despite all the sleep she had gotten. Pushing herself upright, she pulled the sheet back from her leg and inspected her calf with a critical eye. Considering the bandage was now gone and there was only a thin, red wound, it was a good bet it was healed enough to walk.

Without bothering to ask, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and got to her feet. Grimacing at the tight feeling in her muscles, Heather stretched her arms over her head and let out a satisfied groan when a few joints popped at the action.

"Lanta." She sighed, cutting off his stressful sputtering about her staying in bed, and turned to look at him with a bland expression. "I'm fine, now I want to go see Glorfindel. It's good to hear he's healed so far, but I want to see him with my own eyes." Turning away, she started for the door, one hand coming up to fiddle with her necklace idly.

"But-"

"You have a butt, I have a butt, however they don't belong in your reply. Now where is he?" Glancing at him over her shoulder, she offered a small smile at his aghast expression at what she said. "Please, Lanta. I have to see him."

Lanta fumbled with his hands a moment in obvious indecision then let out a small sigh of his own and moved to lead the way. "If you feel fatigue, please tell me, La-" He choked off what he was about to say and coughed when he caught sight of the sharp look she sent him. "Heather..."

"I'll be fine, just take me to him, please." Offering a light smile to the young ellon, she waved one of her hands in front of her for him to continue onward. Giving Heather one last searching look, he reluctantly nodded and moved along the hanging walkway between the two trees.

Pausing halfway across, Heather turned to actually look at the place she was in, eyes roaming the small homes built into the trees themselves as well as on the ground. Rope bridges spanned between the talons, giving the entire place the feeling of a fairy tale.

Gentle light pierced the foliage and basked the area in a warm glow. Looking at this, you wouldn't even think that there had been orc threatening the very forest it sat in however many days ago.

Turning to look over at Lanta, she smiled wide at his questioning look. "This place is beautiful."

Hearing this, he smiled as well and turned to look out across the thriving forest city himself, a proud expression settling across his face, the kind of pride one had when they knew the place they lived was wonderful. "Yes, it is beautiful. Peaceful even."

"Very." Breathing out a small sigh, Heather leaned against the railing in front of her and just watched. If she could could paint, she knew she'd choose this view in front of her as a subject. However... She grimaced lightly and ran a hand through her hair. She had no idea how to hold a paintbrush, let alone use it.

With one last look out across the forest city, she turned to look up at Lanta. "Alright, I'm ready." Lanta nodded and turned to lead her the rest of the way across the bridge and towards another small talon settled across from the one she had been staying in and paused next to the door.

Stepping up beside him, she looked up at his open expression and back to the open doorway. "Is he awake?"

"I may be old, _Melisse,_ but I am not deaf." A familiar, cheerful voice made Heather's face break out in a breathtaking smile. Without another word to Lanta, she fairly sprinted through the doorway and came to a stop beside the bed Glorfindel sat upon, his eyes sparkling with good humor as he took in her appearance.

Forgoing the seat sat next to the bed, Heather opted to settle down on the edge of it beside him, one hand reaching out to stroke his cheek, a thumb brushing against the faint red line just below his eye with a small frown.

Staring down at her, Glorfindel reached up and covered her hand with his own, gently wrapping his fingers around it and offering a gentle smile. "I am fine, _Melisse._ Much better than I was."

Pulling on her hand lightly, he tugged her so she settled against his chest, arms wrapping around her once she relaxed against his shoulder and let his warmth seep into her. "I hear it is you have to thank for being brought to the healers." He murmured quietly, chin resting on her head as Heather twined her arms around his middle. "Without you, I may not be alive."

"I doubt that." She forced out a chuckle and shook her head. "You're far too stubborn to die."

Letting out a low laugh himself, Glorfindel tightened his grip on her. "Be as that may, you saved me. In more than one way, Heather. I can never thank you enough."

"Just..." Breathing in sharply, she sucked back a soft sob and buried her face in his shoulder. "You can thank me by being alive a long time so you can keep annoying me with horrible jokes." Heather squeezed him gently and let herself melt into his embrace. For the first time since she woke up here, she felt completely at peace.

"Anything for you, _Melisse._ " Glorfindel murmured, a light laugh in his voice as he closed his eyes and rested his cheek against the top of her head. "You only need to ask."

* * *

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